296 
and ftanding rigging, of much lefs fize 
than thofe ufed at prefent, will anfwer the 
fame purpofe, and confequently bea great 
faving to the public. 
Mr. STANFIELD’s ImMPROVEMENT 
IN RoviING AND SPINNING. | 
On the 13th of September, letters pa- 
fent were granted te Mr. SAMUEL 
STANFIELD, of Staley-Bridge, Lan- 
cafhiré; clock-maker, for an improve-— 
ment in roving and {pinning cotton, flax, 
hemp, filk, mohair, thread, &c. 
This improvement of Ivir. STAN- 
FIELD, in {pinning cotton, though 
fmail, is of much importance. One of the 
imperfe&tions much complained of in 
fpiuning cotton is, that the bobbins are 
fubjeét to rove, fome fafter than others, 
which occafions the line to Rrain, and 
much inconvenience and lofs cf time 
are thereby fuffained. By the intreduc- 
tion of a pully, affixed on a tube of-brafs, 
which is placed upon the ipindle, and 
turned by a cylinder, with wathers of a 
conic form, all working loofely together, 
and-bearing on the trever, the obftacle 
is f{urmounted.. TFhis is the fourth pa- 
tent method for the fame purpofe which 
has been inventedswithin a few months. 
= EE ee 
DescRIPTION OF THE PLATE RE- 
PRESENTING THE CuINEsE Com- 
PASS AND THE IRRIGATING Pump, 
al op 
vee 
Extraéited from theVo¥VAGE TOCHINA, 
of Lorp Macartney, and copid 
nto this Work, by Permiffion of SiR 
GEORGE STAUNTON. 
[THe Cyinese Compass. | 
Tue compafs is, among the Chinefe, 
am univerfal ufe. “With them the mag- 
netic needle is feldom ‘made to exceed an 
inch m length, and is lefs than a line-in 
thicknels. Itis poifed with great nicety, 
and is cemarkably fenfible ; by which ts 
Meant, that it appears to move at the 
eafi. change of pofition, towards the eaft 
or weft of the box in which it is fufpend- 
ed; though, in’ faét, the nature of the 
tmagnet, and the perfection of the ma- 
chine containing it, Confift in the needle’s, 
privation of all motion, or its continuing 
to point always fteadily towards the fame. 
portion of the heavens, however rapidly 
may be whirled the compals-bex, or 
éther objeéts furrewnding it. This ftea- 
dinefs, in the Chinefs compafs, is accom - 
piithed by a particular contrivance, as 
eelerved. by Mr. Barrow. ‘A piece of 
My. Stanfield’ s Spinning Improvement 
& 
[0a. 
thin copper is ftrapped round the centre 
of the needle. ‘This copper is riveted by 
its edges to the upper part of a fmall he- 
“mifperical cup, of the fame metal, turned 
downwards. Thecup fo inverted, ferves 
as a focket to receive a fteel pivot rifing 
from a cavity made into around piece of 
light wood, or cork, which thus forms 
the compafs-box. .The furfaces of the 
- ry 
_focket and pivot, intended to meet each 
other, are perfeéily polithed, to avoid, as 
much as pofiible, all friétion. The cup 
has a proportionably broad marSin,which, 
befide adding to its weight, tends from 
its horizonyal pefition to keep the centre 
of gravity, in all Gtuations of the compafs, 
nearly in coincidence with the centre of 
fufpenfion. The cavity, in which the 
“needie is thus fufpended, is in form cir- 
cular, and is little more than fuficient to 
receive the needle, cup, and pivor. Over 
this cavity is placed athim piece of tranf- 
parent. talc, which prevents the -needle 
from being aiected by any métion of the 
external air; bat permits the apparent 
motion of the former to be eafily oblerved. 
The fmall and fhort needle-of the Chi- 
rete has a material advantage over thofe 
of the ufual fize in Europe, with. regard 
to the inclination or dip towards the ho-- 
rizon ; which, in the latter, requires that 
one extremity of the neédle fhould be 
made fo much heavier than the other, as 
will counteraét the magnetic attraétion. 
This being different in diferent parts of 
the world, the needle can only be accu- 
rately true at the place for which it had 
been. conftructed. Bue im fhort and 
light needles, fufpended after the Chi- 
-nefe manner, the weight below the” 
point of fufpenfion is more than fufiicient 
to overcome the magnetic power of the 
dip or inclination, in all fituations of the 
globe ;-and efore fuch needles will 
-bever deviate irom their horizontal po- 
BOT. ap Siow 
-_ Upon the upper furface of the’box are 
drawn feveral concentric lines or circles, 
according tothe various fizes of the com— 
pafs-box. This is feldom lefs than four 
inches in diameter. The circles are dif. 
tinguifhed by different Chinefe charac- 
terers. -Eight are-marked on the firft or 
innermoit circle ; four of which denote 
‘the cardinal points of eaft, weft, north, and - 
fouth , and four the bifeéting interme- 
diate points. ‘The fame eight charaéters 
alto fignify eight equal divifions of the na- 
tural day, or {pace during which the 
carth revolves upou its own axis in purfu- 
ing 
the 
tHe 
