A METHOD OF REDUCING FRICTION TO ITS LEAST DEGREE
Year: 1790

page_text: STUARD'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STUARD, of the Parish of Saint John, Wapping, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said James Stuard, did, by my Petition, humbly repre-
sent to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that,
after much labor and expence, I had invented "A METHOD OF REDUCING
FRICTION TO ITS LEAST DEGREE," and that in regard I was the first and true
Inventor thereof, and that the samo had not been practised or used by any
other person or persons, to my knowledge or belief, I therefore most humbly
prayed His said Majesty that He would be graciously pleased to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal Letters Patent under
the Great Seal of Great Britain for the sole use and benefit of my said
Invention, within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
for the term of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case made
and provided; and His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to
all arts and inventions which might be for the public good, was graciously
pleased to condescend to my request; and His said Majesty did therefore, by
His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of
March, in the thirtieth year of His reign, of His especial grace, certain
knowledge, and meer 'motion, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that
I, the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every
of them, by myself and themselves, or by my or their deputy or deputies,

page_text: servants or agents, or such others as I, the said James Stuard, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others.
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said
Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
in such manner as to me, the said James Stuard, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretion seem' meet; and
that I, the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, and assigns.
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, com-
modity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and
arising by reason of the said Tnvention, for and during the term of years
therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers,
priviledges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted
unto me, the said James Stuard, 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;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if I, the snid
James Stuard, should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month
next and immediately after the date of 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-
before contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding, as in and
by the said Letters Patent (relation being thereunto had) may more fully
and at large appear.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Stuard, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and declare that the same is to be performed in manner following (that is
to say):-
The nature of my Invention is to lessen the friction of pulloys or blocks,
pumps, engines for extinguishing fire, steam engines, and capstans, and is
performed in manner following:-In all circular motions of either of the above
machines, the axis being round, and fixed in the moving part, is to work on
and against a rectilinear plane; or a convex plane, or else a concave plane
either oval or circular, made larger than to fit the axis, there being the

page_text: greatest friction when it fills its hole, half the circumference always bearing, as
in the common way; but by this method only a line of the axis bears at one
time. Either of the above-mentioned planes (except the last) may be fixed in
the sheive of a block, to work on the pin; but when the sheive has its pin or
axis fixed to it, I make the ends in a convex form, or else put shoulders
thereon, to prevent the sheive from rubbing against the sides of the block.
Those capstans which have their axis made of wood, and consequently very
large, will have the friction greatly relieved by working against cither of the
above-mentioned planes, so placed that the direction of the rope will make
them bear full against the plane. In all vibrating motions, and in ascending
and descending motions of cither of the above-mentioned machines, the axis,
being made as figure
is to work on or against a concave plane,
or in the corner of an angle, or, if necessary, the axis may be fixed with the
edge upwards, and the concavo plane on angle work on it.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stuard, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the thirtieth 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 ninety.
Sealed and delivered (being first duly
stamped) in the presence of us,
JAMES STUARD. (L.S.)
THO. BAINBRIDGE.
JOHN DAVIES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of April, in the
thirtieth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the said
James Stuard came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the several Statutes made
in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary
of England, and so forth, and in the seventeenth and twenty-third years of
the reign of His Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the said Sixteenth day of April, in the year above written.