The earliest mechanical device for carding fibers was invented by Lewis Paul in England in 1738 but not patented until August 30, 1748. The patent described two machines. The first, and less important, machine consisted of 16 narrow cards mounted on a board; a single card held in the hand performed the actual carding operation (see fig. 3). The second machine utilized a horizontal cylinder covered with parallel rows of card clothing. Under the cylinder was a concave frame lined with similar card clothing. As the cylinder was turned, the cards on it worked against those on the concave frame, separating and straightening the fibers (see fig. 4). After the fibers were carded, the concave section was lowered and the fibers were stripped off by hand with a needle stick, an implement resembling a comb with very fine needlelike metal teeth. Though his machine was far from perfect. Lewis Paul had invented the carding cylinder working with stationary cards and the stripping comb. [Illustration: Figure 4.--THE PATENT DESCRIPTION OF PAUL'S SECOND MACHINE suggested that the fibers be carded by a cylinder action, but be removed in the same manner as directed in the first patent.] [Illustration: Figure 5.--ILLUSTRATIONS FROM BRITISH PATENT 628, ISSUED JANUARY 20, 1748, to Daniel Bourn for a roller card machine.] [Illustration: Figure 6.--THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE FEATURE Illustrated in Richard Arkwright's British patent 1111 of December 16, 1775, provided "a crank and a frame of iron with teeth" to remove the carded fibers from the cylinder.]