NEW METHOD FOR MAKING BOLTING CLOTHS TO BE USED BY MILLERS FOR DRESSING OF FLOUR
Year: 1783

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BLACKMORE, of Exeter, in the County of Devon, Weaver; do send greeting.
WHEREAS by my Petition, humbly presented unto His most Gracious
Majesty, setting forth that, after much labour, study, and expensive experi-
ments, I had invented and brought to perfection a "NEW METHOD FOR MAKING
BOLTING CLOTHS TO BE USED BY MILLERS FOR DRESSING OF FLOUR," and which
I apprehended and believed would be of great public utility, and that in regard
I was the first and true Inventor thereof, the same having never been made by
any other person or persons, I thereby must humbly prayed that His Majesty
would be graciously pleased to grant His Royal Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of Great Britain unto me and my assigns, for the sole benefit and
advantage of my said Invention, for the term of fourteen years, throughout the
Kingdom of Great Britain, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, according to the Statute in that case made and provided;
whereupon His Majesty, by His most gracious Letters Patent, bearing date
at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of December, in the twenty-fourth year of
His said Majesty's reign, hath given and granted unto me, the said Benjamin
Blackmore, my executors, administrators, and assigns, special lycence, full
power, priviledge and authority, that I, the said Benjamin Blackmore, my
executors, admors, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves,
or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I,
the said Benjamin Blackmore, my executors, administrators, or assigns, shall

page_text: at any time agree with (not exceeding in the whole the number of five persons,
and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of
years therein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, use, exercise, and vend
my said Invention within that part of the Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in
such manner as me, the said Benjamin Blackmore, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or any of them, shall, in my or their discretions, seem
meet, and that I, the said Benjamin Blackmore, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, shall and lawfully, may have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit,
commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and
arising by reason of my said Invention, for and during the term of years
therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said lycense, powers,
priviledges, and advantages therein granted or mentioned to be granted
unto me, the said Benjamin Blackmore, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years
from the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing,
and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such
case made and provided, with a proviso therein contained, that if I, the said
Benjamin Blackmore, should not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by any instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four
calendar months next and immediately after. the date the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become
void, anything therein contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwith-
standing, as by the said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear."
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Blackmore, do therefore
hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention to be as follows
(that is to say):
The cane or chain is turned upon a cane noll in the usual way, and is then
taken in through two harnesses, one of which makes the upper, and the other
makes the under part of the bolting cloths. After the cane is taken through
the harness it is also taken through a false reed, and afterwards through the
reed that makes the work. From thence it is taken through what I denomi-
nate a regulator, constructed of a piece of hoop cane, taken off flat, so that
nothing remains but the middle part, which is strengthened with wires of the
same length; and through this cane are various holes, according to the quality

page_text: of the bolting cloths and the finess of the reed, and through these holes are put
various horsehairs, in number as the quality of the bolting, cloths require. At
the end of each hair is fastened a small weight, called a lingol, and made of
brass, lead, or other metal. The cane of, this regulator is drawn up into a
groove tuk in the hand ball of the batten, and fastend to wires fixed in the
hand ball at two different parts of the cane, and at three other parts of the
cane, is fastened to the burdown or upper block of the batten by means of
cords let through the hand ball, and tied to the cane. The lingols are let
into-a-chace cut in the under block of the batten, and fastened by a wooden
rebat to keep it steady, and two wires, fastned by rings, are placed at the top
of the lingols, to keep them from rising. Behind the hair is fixed a brass
plate, which I call a bolster, because it stays the hair whilst it performs the
work, and then the cane or chain is taken through all the tackle, and
fastned to a breast roll, and set to work with double mounture of all sorts
(videlicet), sixteen tumblers, sixteen, lamms or countermeshes, and nine-
treadles. The tie or cordage of the aforesaid mounture is as follows
(videlicet):-The first and second treadles take down the whole of the harness
that makes the under part of the bolting, at the same time it makes an
opening in that which makes the upper part of the bolting cloth, so as that
the shuttle may be thrown over it. The feet then leave the first and second
treadles, and tread down the third and fourth, which brings up the whole of the
harness that makes the upper part of the bolting cloth, and also makes an
opening at the same time in that which makes the under part of the bolting
cloth, to throw the shuttle back to the same hand that threw it off first; the feet
then to go to the fifth and sixth treadles, which take down the whole of the
harness that makes the under part of the bolting cloth, and makes the reverse
opening in that which makes the upper part of the bolting cloth to throw the
shuttle with the same hand which first threw it over the upper part of the bolting
cloth. The feet then go to the seventh and eighth treadles, which bring up the
whole of the harness that makes the upper part of the bolting cloth, and at
the same time makes the reverse opening in that which makes the under part-
of the bolting cloth. The ninth treadle is made use of to part the harness that:
makes the upper part and the under part of the bolting cloth, and also makes
an opening to inspect the under part of the cloth to see if there are any
imperfections, so that the work may go on regular, and also to put in an
instrument which I call a spreader, made of two pieces. of board, and so
constructed that it may be fixed to any breadth from forty-one inches to
thirty-six inches, more or less, by means of a cord wound round a wire.

page_text: This spreader keeps the cloth extended the breadth of the reed whilst the
work is performing, and is shoved towards the reed as often as occasion
requires. (This spreader is not described in the Drawing, because it is hid
between the upper and under part of the bolting cloth). Everything being
fixed in the aforesaid form, I begin the bolting cloth, which is at the beginning
forty or thirty-nine inches wide, more or less, when double. And when an
inch of cloth is made (it being double), I take out four threads, two at each
edge, sometimes oftener, and at other times not so often, according to the
quality of the cloth then making, in order to slope it, and continue so to do till
it is reduced from forty or thirty-nine inches to thirty-seven or thirty-six,
or under, as may be necessary, which reducement must be compleated by the
time five feet four inches or less is made, if required. Thus my bolting
cloth without seams is made.
I also make bolting cloths by the same method with one seam in every
respect except reversing the treadles, which is performed as follows:-
The third and fourth treadles are put in the place of the fifth and sixth,
and the fifth and sixth are put in the third and fourth's place, which
open the bolting cloth at one edge, and forms two selvedges on one side,
and keeps the other edge closed. The bolting cloth is made taper, as the
former, and, when taken out of the loom and extended, will measure in width
seventy-nine inches, more or less, as required, at the broadest end, and
seventy-three inches, more or less, as may be required, at the narrow end.
I also make, by the same method, two-breadth cloths, wove single, either
with or without the regulator, forty or thirty-nine inches, more or less, at the
broad or upper end, and made taper, or reduced to thirty-seven, thirty-six
inches, or less, by taking out threads from the edges, as before described, so
as to reduce it three inches, more or less, in five feet three or four inches,
more or less, as may be required.
I also make, by the same method, three-breadth bolting cloths, wove in like
manner with the two-breadth cloths, differing in breadth, being made only
twenty-six and a half inches, more or less, as required, and reduced to twenty-
four inches, or less, by taking out threads, as in my former cloths. All the
aforesaid bolting cloths are wove taper, to prevent the inconvenience of the
gore and seams in bolting cloths hitherto used, which soon wear out at the
seams, to the great detriment of the millers.
I also make four-breadth bolting cloths by the above method, twenty inches
at the head, more or less, and reduced to eighteen and a half inches, more or
less, as required, by the time I have made five feet four inches. And I also

page_text: make the aforesaid cloths equal at each end, when required; and a Plan or
Drawing of my said Invention I have hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Blackmore, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the twenty-fourth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty-four.

page_text: The side bar in which the Poppet is fixed that holds the Breast Roll.
The Poppet.
The hindermest post to which the Seat is fixed where the Weaver sits.
The long Top or upper bar on which the Batten hangs.
The bottom rail.
The Top Castle.
Are Lamms N8 in each 16 in the whole.
The Treadles.
Is the Horsehair Regulator with Holes for a Wider or a Closer Cloth.
Are small pieces of Lead or other Metal suspended by the Horsehairs.
The Handball of the Batten.
The Ilandball of the Batten lifted up in order to shew the work.
The under Block of the Batten.
The Centre of the Tiamblers.
The Cords that the Regulator hangs by.
The Webb in the Loom.
Is the Yarn Beam.
Is the double Harness.