or paddles, to act upon the water in the manner of the ordinary paddle wheels of steamboats.

"I do not claim to be the first to have used buoyant cylinders, or floats, having paddles or buckets upon their peripheries; but what I do claim is the using of revolving floats for obtaining buoyancy, and as propellers, in the manner herein set forth that is to say, said floats being in diameter equal to that of the paddle wheels ordinarily employed, and like them, rising above the deck of the vessel, and being furnished with buckets, or paddles, the outer edges of which are to be on a line, or nearly so, with that of the peripheries of the floats."

PROPELLING BOATS BY JETS OF WATER; Hugh Ronalds. The propelling of boats by means of jets, or currents of water, has repeatedly been patented in Europe and in America, under various modifications; in the present plan there are two cylinders lying horizontally in the vessel, and open at the stern. These cylinders are each provided with a piston impelled by a steam engine. The improvement claimed is to the making of the inner ends of the cylinders open to the atmosphere for the free egress and ingress of the air during the back and forward movement of the pistons, the water as it flows into said cylinders doing so by hydrostatic pressure only.

MACHINE FOR OVERHAULING CLOTH WHILE FULLING; John Tillou, New Haven. The patentee says "The design and object of my machine is to remove millwrinkles, and to make a smooth surface on cloth by means of a force so applied as to stretch the cloth widthwise, while the rolling cylinders passing the cloth, draw and stretch it lengthwise." The principle is applicable to machinery for overhauling cloth while fulling, and for extending cloth while napping or shearing, or in lieu of revolving temples for weaving."

Two pairs of chains working over rollers and armed with rubbers, pass over and under the surface of the cloth at right angles to its length, the two nearly meeting in the middle of the cloth, and running in opposite directions, rub out the wrinkles-this is called the "transverse rubber." The cloth, after leaving these chains, passes between two sets of oblique rollers, the axis of one set forming an obtuse angle with the other, called" oblique stretchers," which stretch the cloth width-wise.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING WATER, CALLED THE LOPILE HYDRAULIC APPARATUS; Pierre Ravard, Paris, France, assigned to Eugene Ablon, of New York.

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"It is a well known fact," says the patentee, that when steam is allowed to escape rapidly through a small orifice into the atmosphere, it carries with it a considerable portion of the surrounding air, and that the instrument denominated the slopile has been, from this circumstance, proposed to be applied to the blowing of air into forges and furnaces. The same principle is also applied in the locomotive steam engine to create a partial vacuum in the furnace, by projecting a jet of waste steam up the chimney, which carries with it a large portion of air, thereby effecting the object desired. In my apparatus for raising water I apply the same principle to the producing of a partial vacuum in suitable receivers, into which water is then to be forced from the well, or other reservoir, by the pressure of the atmosphere."

The claim is to the combination and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus with the view of applying the principle above indicated, to the raising of water.

MACHINE FOR SPINNING SILK; George Heritage, Chestertown. This machine is for spinning silk directly from the cocoons, and giving the necessary twist to it at the same time. The cocoons are placed in revolving pans, (for a description of which the reader is referred to the notice of the patent next following) which give the first twist to the strands; the threads are then guided to two square shafts, around which they pass, the axles of which are parallel; these are divided into sections of different diameters, for the purpose of drawing the threads from the cocoons with different degrees of velocity, to give different degrees of fineness and twist; the threads pass thence to the flyers and spindles, which are of the usual construction.

MACHINERY FOR REELING SILK FROM THE COCOONS; George Heritage. It is observed in the specification, that "in the ordinary mode of reeling silk from the cocoons, and forming from it what is known under the name of raw silk: the fibres from the respective cocoons form a flat, angular, or irregular thread, as they do not receive any twist on their way to the reel from the basin or vessel containing them. By my improved machinery, I cause the respective fibres which are to form one thread, to twist together, as the cocoons are unwound, and in consequence of such twisting to form a round thread when wound upon the reel, which round thread is much better adapted to various uses in the silk manufacture, than the raw silk as heretofore formed." effect this, the basin in which the cocoons are placed is attached to a spindle with

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which it revolves, and the basin is divided into compartments, so that the water contained in it, with the cocoons, revolve with it, and give the desired twist.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-MILLS; Isaac Garver and Samuel Fahrney, Washington. This patent is for a mode of setting and shifting the sails of wind-mills. The backs of the sails are jointed to the arms, and a rod, attached to the back of each sail, is connected with a thimble on the shaft, by sliding which, the angle of the sail is changed. The sails are kept at their greatest angle by a spring, the end of which is forked and fits into a groove made for that purpose in the thimble. A cord attached to the thimble passes over pulleys and down to within reach of the operator, by means of which the tension of the spring can be overcome, and the sails shifted.

APPARATUS For Steering BOATS; Russell Evartz, Madison. The steering chain in this apparatus is made fast to a segment of a wheel at the rudder head, and passing thence, its ends are wound around, and made fast to two drums on a horizontal shaft, under the tiller house-the distance between the two drums must be equal to the diameter of the wheel at the rudder head; the chain, therefore, always acts upon the wheel in the line of its tangent, and the leverage on the rudder will be unvarying. The shaft of the tiller wheel, which has its bearings in a sliding frame, is provided with wheels of different diameters, either of which may be put in gear with a cog-wheel on the shaft of the drums to which the steering chain is attached. Two chains are made fast to the rudder, and pass along under the gunwhales to the bow, where they are attached to the windlass, by which arrangement the vessel may be steered in case of a fire, which would prevent the use of the tiller or rudder head.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE ARGAND LAMP; Benjamin Hemmenway, Roxbury. The object of this improvement is to avoid the necessity of removing the oil chamber, in the fountain lamp, to replenish it with oil. The fountain or reservoir is supplied with oil through a short pipe at top, which is hermetically closed by a leather valve and screw cap; and between the bottom of this reservoir and the pipe that conducts the oil to the burner, is an air chamber, which is supplied with air by a tube passing up through the oil reservoir. From the bottom of the oil reservoir, a tube, provided with a stop cock, descends to within a short distance of the bottom of the air chamber. When the oil chamber is to be replenished, the stop cock, in the tube at the bottom, must be closed, and the valve at the top may then be

opened to receive the oil; and when the valve at the top is closed, then the stop cock may be opened. When this has been done, it is evident that the air from the air chamber will rise in the tube, at the bottom of the reservoir, and allow the oil to descend in the air chamber until it reaches the lower end of the said tube, and the oil reservoir being then hermetically closed by the valve at the top, the atmospheric pressure will prevent the further descent of the oil. By this arrangement the inconvenience arising from the overflowing of the common fountain lamp is effectually guarded against; for by making the top of the burner a little higher than the lower end of the tube in the bottom of the oil reservoir, the oil can never rise above the given height.

METHOD OF FORMING ICE; Thomas B. Smith, St. Louis. The patentee says:"My improved process for the rapid production of ice by the freezing of water, is dependent upon the well known fact, that a thin stratum of water when exposed to an atmosphere, the temperature of which is at, or below, thirty-two degrees of Fahrenheit's scale, very rapidly becomes frozen. It is also a fact that after a thin sheet of ice has been formed upon the surface of water, the process of freezing proceeds but slowly, in consequence of the bad conducting property of ice for the matter of heat. Taking advantage of these laws, I proceed in the formation, or the making of ice, in the following way I prepare a vat, or other suitable vessel, of wood, or other material, of any size that I may deem convenient, and this I place on a level, in such situation as shall best expose it to the freezing influence of the atmosphere. From any suitable reservoir I cause a portion of water to run into this vat, or other vessel, so as to cover the bottom thereof to the depth of an eighth, or fourth, of an inch, more or less, according to circumstances, and this water I allow to become completely frozen: when this has taken place, I in like manner supply another portion of water to be converted into ice. Proceeding in this way, I quickly obtain a thick stratum of ice, of perfect purity, if the water be pure, and of great solidity."

The vat, or reservoir, is described as being made with movable partitions, to form blocks of any desired size,

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CARDING MACHINE; Ebenezer and Alanson Crane. The top cards, instead of being permanently attached to the frame, are affixed to a traveling endless belt, passing around a roller at each end, and one at top in the middle: they are prevented from approaching too near to the main card by a segment plate,

The rollers and segment are provided with adjusting screws.

MODE OF WHITENING OR PREPARING WHAT IS TERMED "FAIR LEATHER." James C. Booth, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In order to obtain or put the leather in the state designated, so that it may have the peculiar light-coloured and fair appearance which is the object of the invention, the patentee employs the leather in that stage of the manufacture when it is in its moist state, after it is "finished;" or if it is used when the leather is dry, then in the latter case it must be moistened through with clear water. While it is thus wet, I spread (he says) with a sponge, brush, or other suitable article, the following liquid composition over the fair surface of the leather, giving it sufficient dampness to let the pores absorb the liquid. The liquid to be applied, is a solution of the protomuriate of tin in muriatic acid, ether, alcohol, and water, and is composed as follows :-Any quantity of the protomuriate of tin is dissolved in about one half of the weight of muriatic acid, and to this solution ether is added in the proportion, by weight, of three times the weight of the protomuriate of tin, and then a quantity of alcohol by weight, equal to four times the weight of the protomuriate of tin. To this may be superadded clear fresh water in the proportion of three parts by weight, as compared with the protomuriate of tin. If the leather to be employed under this process is not clear, or is very dark or spotted, then a greater proportion of muriatic acid is to be used, say an equal quantity, by weight, or twice as much, by weight, as compared with the protomuriate of tin. Immediately after the application of the above described liquid composition to the leather, I spread over it (he says) in a similar manner, spirits of turpentine with or without a small quantity of tallow dissolved in it, sufficient to make it pliable, and the leather is suffered to dry in the ordinary manner, and the operation is complete. The spirits of turpentine alone will generally be sufficient to give pliability to the leather after the first composition is employed, without adding the tallow; but when the leather is stiff or hard, or not sufficiently soft, the tallow may then be added. The leather after this process will have the required whiteness and fair appearance.

PROCESS OF

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MANUFACTURING SUL

PHATE OF ALUMINE. Rudolph and Gustava Boninger, of Baltimore, Maryland, Assignees of Max Joseph Funcke, of Eichelskamp, Prussia. The process here patented consists in manufacturing sulphate of alumine, so as to produce the same free, or nearly free, from iron, and from alkali; whereby it is more perfectly adapted to be used as a mordant, or for other purposes, in the useful arts, than the alum of commerce, or than the sulphate of alumine, as ordinarily prepared." I take," says the patentee, "potters' clay, pipe clay, or clay of any other kind, as free from iron as it can possibly be obtained; and this I dry at such degree of heat as is necessary to drive off all its free moisture. The clay so calcined is next to be reduced to powder, and this powder I put into suitable leaden vessels, or vessels of other material not acted upon by sulphuric acid; to these vessels a moderate degree of heat is to be applied, by means of steam or otherwise. Sulphuric acid, of 66° Beaumé, is then to be added to the clay, in such quantity as shall suffice to dissolve nearly the whole of the alumine contained in the clay; which may be ascertained by a previous test on a small quantity. An excess of acid should not be used, as the whole ought to be perfectly neutralized by the alumine.

"After the addition of the acid, the mass in the pans is to be stirred until it is perfectly dry; boiling water is then to be added in sufficient quantity to dissolve the whole of the salt. The liquid thus obtained is to be placed in vats, and to remain at rest until it becomes perfectly clear. It should then be tested by means of lime water, to be certain that it does not contain any free acid; and should any be present, lime water is to be added until the whole excess of acid has combined with the lime, and has been precipitated in the form of sulphate of lime. When perfectly clear, the liquid is to be drawn off into other vats, preparatory to the separating from it the iron, which will always be found contained with it in greater or a less quantity. A measured portion of this liquid, say one pint, is then to be taken, and the iron contained in it is to be precipitated, by means of a solution of prussiate of potash, in such manner as to ascertain the exact quantity of said solution necessary to the precipitation of the contained iron. The quantity of liquid contained in the vat being known, the portion of the solution of the prussiate of potash necessary to the precipitation of the whole of the iron will consequently be known, and this is to be added to it, the mixture stirred,

and the prussiate of iron formed, allowed to go to the bottom. The liquid is then to be drawn off clear from the precipitate, and a pure, or nearly pure, solution of sulphate of alumine will be thus obtained; and it may in this state be applied to various purposes in the arts.

"If desired, the water may be quickly evaporated in leaden or other vessels, until a pellicle appears on its surface; when it may be put into suitable forms, and allowed to cool and crystalize, or consolidate.

"I am aware that clay has been heretofore treated with sulphuric acid, to form a sulphate of alumine; and I am also aware that it is known to every chemist that iron may be precipitated from its solutions in sulphuric or other acid, by means of prus siate of potash. I do not, therefore, make any claim to the discovery of either of these processes when taken alone; but I do claim the combination of means herein pointed out for the manufacturing of sulphate of alumine, by which it is produced with greater facility, and in a state of greater purity, than by any of the processes heretofore adopted in its manufacture; that is to say, I claim, in combination, the preparing of the clay by desiccation, the combining thereof with sulphuric acid, and the subsequent solution and precipitation of the iron, substantially in the manner, and for the purpose, herein fully made known."

APPARATUS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS BY THE CIRCULATION OF HOT WATER THROUGH TUBES; George M. Dexter, Boston. The furnace and the tubes through which the heated water circulates, are arranged in an airchamber, the air within which, when heated, is to be carried off to other apartments, or otherwise employed, as may be desired. The furnace is vertical and surrounded with water except at the door for the supply of fuel. A system of vertical and horizontal tubes communicate with the water chamber of the furnace at top and bottom, by means of which connexion the water is kept in constant circulation.

Claim."What I claim as constituting my invention and improvement, is the heating of air in a chamber constructed for that purpose, within which chamber there is a system of tubes, which tubes are heated by causing water to circulate through them in the manner set forth, said water being at a temperature below that of boiling, and being supplied by a heated vessel arranged and operating substantially in the manner described, and the air so heated being conveyed from the said chamber through large trunks or other openings, into the apartments to be warmed, as made known."

AN IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE OVENS AND STOVES; Edward Gosselin, City of New York. This patent is for adapting a portable and shifting oven to a cooking stove, the draught of which passes under the top plate. The top plate of the stove is provided with two apertures, one near the front, and the other near the chimney; there being a damper in front of the rear aperture, which, when opened, admits the draught to pass directly out at the chimney, and when closed directs it around the oven, the flue of which is made to fit the two openings in the top plate of the stove, so that the draught passes up at one end of the oven, over the top, down the back, and out at the chimney.

Claim. "What I claim as new and of my own invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is not the mere combination of a portable oven with a cooking stove, as this is not new; but the combining the oven with the stove in the manner herein set forth, so that the draught from the stove shall pass up on one end of the oven, over the top, and down on the opposite end into the common flue of the stove; that is to say, I claim the combination of an oven constructed in the manner herein set forth, with any cooking stove adapted to receive it, and so regulated as to admit the draught either to pass over the oven and thence into the common flue, or to pass directly into the flue without circulating over the oven, the whole being constructed substantially in the manner herein set forth."

WATERPROOF TRUNKS; Peter Getz, Lancaster. Pennsylvania. The proposed improvement is adapted to the common trunk, the space in the top, or lid, being made air tight with tinned copper. A box that fits into the body of the trunk, is also made of tinned copper, covered on the top with wood. Into this top is made a hole with a metal ring fitted to it, to receive a cover that screws into this ring, there being a similar ring attached to a copper plate which constitutes the cover. The key hole is made water tight by a screw cap in the same manner with the cover of the box. The whole being thus made water tight, and the upper part or lid of the trunk being an air chamber, the articles contained in the box will not only be preserved from moisture, but the whole may be used as a life-preserver.

The claim is confined to the " method described of rendering trunks water-proof by constructing them with a screwed plate, or lid, in the manner set forth."