MANUFACTURING CARDS, WHICH ARE EMPLOYED IN THE CARDING AND SPINNING OF FLAX, Tow, WOOL, COTTON, AND SILK, SO AS TO COMBINE THE QUALITY OF A FINE CARD WITH THE STRENGTH OF A COARSE ONE
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STEAD, Card Manufacturer, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Ninth day of February, in the fourty-ninth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Stead, His special licence, that I, the said John Stead, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Stead, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully make, use, and exercise and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "MANUFACTURING
CARDS, WHICH ARE EMPLOYED IN THE CARDING AND SPINNING OF FLAX, Tow,
WOOL, COTTON, AND SILK, SO AS TO COMBINE THE QUALITY OF A FINE CARD WITH
THE STRENGTH OF A COARSE ONE;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso obliging me, the said John Stead, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of

page_text: Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Stead, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained in
the following explanation thereof (that is to say) :-
Instead of tho ordinary form of cards now in use, the teeth of this card
are tapered gradually from what is called the knee, or from the leather or
material in which they are set, and terminate in a sharp point in the form of
a heckle. By this means the cards can be filled with wire of a much stronger
and coarser size than they could be without this method of pointing, and they
can also be filled closer in the wire, so as to combine the advantage of a fine
card with the strength of a coarse one, without injury to the materials carded.
The teeth of this card are made with either a knee'd or circular hook; the
latter is preferable, especially in the carding of flax, tow, and silk, as the card
is more easily relieved or cleared of the stuff. Another improvement from
this method of making cards is, that the teeth, owing to their form, may be
grinded or sharpened repeatedly until worn down, without losing essentially
the benefit of the original point.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stead, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and nine.
Alexander Grant, of Serjeant's Inn, Fleet Street, Gentleman, maketh oath
and saith, that he knows John Stead, of Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Card Manu-
facturer, the person in the annexed Instrument or Specification named and
described, and that he is also well acquainted with the character or manner of
handwriting of him the said John Stead. And this Deponent further saith, that
the name "John Stead," set and subscribed opposite the seal affixed to the

page_text: said Instrument or Specification hereunto annexed as the party executing the
same, is of the proper handwriting of him the said John Stead.
ALEX. GRANT.
Sworn at the Public Office, South-
ampton Buildings, this Fourth day
of March, 1809, before me,
EDW. MORRIS.
Inrolled the same Fourth day of March, in the year above written.