wheel h3, pawle and lever i3, chain 13, and circular plate n3, is to aid the compensation cam v1, and its weight, in causing the chisels to act on the file with the force required, as its thickness increases. When the cam v1, rises up, the front end of the pawle-lever 23, will be depressed by the chain 13; and, in consequence thereof, the pawle, at its other end, will be raised against the ratchet-wheel. The return-movement of the carriage L, will cause the said ratchet-wheel to be borne against the pawle, in a manner sufficient to partially rotate the ratchet-wheel, and, consequently, the screw-shaft, in a direction that will cause the screws e3, f3, (which act in their bearings) to move the slides o, o, towards one another; whereby, when the carriage L, moves forward to the extent of its motion, the progressive levers may be brought nearer into a line with each other, and, of course, with greater power on the levers intervening between them and the cutter-holders.

The object of the slide-bar g1, cord s1, pulley t1, shaft u1, cam v1, cord w1, and weight 62, (made to operate directly on the said cord, or through a barrel or drum a1, a cord y1, and lever z1, as hereinbefore described) is to create an additional power, which shall act on the toggles or progressive levers P, P, and make up or compensate for the loss which gradually takes place in the operation of the progressive levers P, P, while cutting the file from the small or rear end towards its middle part, as before described. The cam v1, should be made of such size and shape as will enable the weight to gradually act with an increasing leverage on the shaft u1, proportionate to the power lost by the progressive levers. The mechanism by which the trammel of the weight b2, is moved along the lever on which it hangs, is intended as another help or aid to the compensatory apparatus. The said mechanism may be often used to advantage when the remaining compensation apparatus requires additional power to make it operate as desired.

In the drawings, the cutters are represented as made with straight edges, and are such as would be employed to cut straight teeth, extending across the blank, as in the ordinary file; but when rasps are to be made, the form of these cutters should be varied, so as to make the peculiar teeth required.

Having pointed out the various parts which constitute the improved file-cutting machine, and described their several uses, the patentee gives the following recapitulation of the working of the parts, in order that their combined movements may be fully understood:-A file or rasp-blank, suitably prepared in the usual way, is secured in the puppets Y, Z, of the carriage w; (which carriage is drawn to the front of the machine before the operation of cutting the blank is commenced) and the clutch v, is brought into contact with the clutch-box of the fly-wheel c. Rotary motion being thus communicated to the shaft B, the disc D, is caused to revolve, and, through the connecting-rod G, give a vibrating motion. to the upright lever H. The upper end of this lever н, being connected with the carriage L, will cause it to slide forward, and operate the pressing apparatus P, Q, and T; by which means the pressure for the cut of the teeth is given to the chisels u. One tooth having been thus made on each side of the file or rasp-blank, it is necessary to move the carriage w, forward a sufficient distance to allow the chisels u, to cut a second tooth, at a suitable distance from the first. This is effected by giving a partial rotation to the screw c, which connects the carriage w, with the fixed framing; for this purpose a stud p, is attached to the connecting-rod G, and is placed in such a manner as to come in contact (at every throw of the rod G,) with the pendant arm of the lever n; which lever, through its connecting-rod m, gives an upward motion to the rack k, when thus acted on by the stud p. While the machine is in operation, the rack k, is in gear with the cogwheel h, which is mounted loosely on the shaft of the screw c; and being provided with a click or pawle i, which takes into the teeth of a ratchet-wheel g, fixed on the shaft of the screw c, the upward motion of the rack cause the wheel g, to partially rotate, and thus gives the required motion to the screw c, for producing the gradual inward progress of the carriage w, with the blank.

The patentee here remarks that a repetition of the means employed in modifying the amount of the upward rise of the rack k, or the action of the parts for throwing it out of gear with the wheel h, will not be required, as they will be fully

understood by the foregoing description; he therefore proceeds to shew the connection of the various parts for adjusting the pressure of the chisels or cutters to the increase in the thickness of the blank. The throw of the connecting-rod G, (which is invariable when once set,) being the immediate cause of the forward motion of the carriage L, (which motion produces the closing of the chisels on to the blank) it will be readily understood, that if the relative movements of these parts are absolute, the chisels will meet at a uniform distance apart, and thus, when the blank increases in thickness, produce too deep a cut. To remedy this, the upright lever H, which conveys the motion of the connecting-rod G, to the carriage L, is made to vibrate on a moveable fulcrum or pivot in the bent bar h1, which is itself supported by the slidingbar g1. When therefore a proper forward motion is given to the carriage L, to insure the right action of the cutting or pressing apparatus, the surplus motion of the lever H, is thrown to its other end, and thereby the bar g1, is slidden forward. This bar is retained in the position it has thus taken by a finger or catch 1, which drops into a notch in the end of the bar; but this catch being made to rise and fall at every rotation of the disc D, (as was previously explained) the bar g1, will be allowed to slide back, and permit the lever H, to regain its position. It is, however, necessary to give a certain amount of bite to the chisels, and for this purpose a shifting weight is employed, the progress of which, along the bar z1, has been fully described. The bar g1, being connected by a cord s1, to the pulley t1, when thrust forwards, causes that pulley to partially rotate, and thus to wind up a portion of a cord w1, on to the cam v1, which is fixed on the shaft of the pulley t1. This cord w1, is coiled round a pulley a1, and attached thereto; and from the same pulley a cord y1, depends, which is attached to the weighted bar z1. It will therefore be seen, that as the leverage of the weight is increased, so will the resistance to the forward motion of the bar g1, be increased, and thus the relief given to the lever H, will be regulated; which lever, as before explained, if working on a stationary fulcrum, would always communicate the same amount of forward motion to the carriage L. The increase in the thickness of the blank under operation, at the same time

that it presents an obstruction to the uniform closing of the chisels, renders it necessary that the pressing-levers, in connection with their holders, should be adjusted to such increase. This increased thickness being, in fact, the cause of the forward motion of the sliding-bar g1, the motion which that bar conveys to the axle of the pulley t1, is employed to draw the inner ends of the pressers P, together, and thus to decrease the proximity of the cutting edges when they close upon the blank. A circular plate m3, mounted on the shaft u1, of the pulley t1, being connected to the pawle-lever i3, by the chain 7, raises the pawle of that lever into contact with the ratchetwheel h3, of the screw-shaft d3; and when the carriage L, on which that shaft is mounted, moves forward, the ratchet-wheel is forced round one tooth by its contact with the pawle; and thus, through the action of the screws e3, f3, the slidingpieces o, o, are made to approach and draw the ends of the pressers P, nearer together, whereby the chisels are adjusted.

The patentee claims, First, the general arrangement of machinery, as above described and set forth in the drawings, whereby the teeth of a file or rasp may be produced on a blank with great uniformity, and on the opposite sides of a blank at one and the same operation. And he claims, in combination with the apparatus which operates the cutters or chisels, the power-compensating mechanism, whereby, by the action of a weight on a cam or excentric, an additional power is obtained to operate on the chisels, which shall be a compensation or equivalent for the loss of power which takes place in the progressive levers as the file increases in thickness, and while the operation of cutting it from its small end towards its middle part is going on.-[Inrolled in the Petty Bag Office, January, 1848.]

TO WILLIAM NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery-lane, in the county of Middlesex, civil engineer, for certain improvements in the manufacture of sugar from the cane, being a communication.-[Sealed 18th January, 1848.]

THIS invention consists in drying and pulverizing cane or other substances which contain saccharine matters, and then

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washing the saccharine matter therefrom; which, when separated from the extraneous substances, may be manufactured into sugar, by evaporation, in any ordinary way.

The cane, or other substance containing saccharine matter, is first cut (by a cane-cutter or other suitable apparatus) into pieces of small size, and then dried in a proper stove or kiln, and afterwards pulverized. The process of drying the cane or other substance containing saccharine matter, after it has been cut up into slices or small pieces, may be conducted in any convenient and suitable manner; but it has been found advisable to place the sliced cane or other substance in a carrying apparatus, consisting of a rectangular metal frame, with a series of shelves placed one above another, and made of wire-work or perforated metal. This apparatus is termed, by the inventor, a carrying panier, and is suspended by chains from a carriage, which is made to run on a railway, so that the panier may, when loaded, be moved in or out of the kiln or stove, or chamber, through which a current of hot air is made constantly to pass. After the cane or other substance has been dried, it is to be pulverized in a suitable mill, and then submitted to the process about to be described.

The apparatus to be employed in this improved process of manufacturing sugar is shewn in Plate VI.; fig. 1, representing a longitudinal elevation of the apparatus; fig. 2, a plan view of the same, as seen from above; and fig. 3, a view of the under side, as it would appear from below. The apparatus consists of a series of any convenient number of tubs or vats ƒ, ƒ, f, placed in a line. Above these tubs there is placed a reservoir of water a, from which a pipe b, descends, and runs along horizontally the length of the series of tubs; this pipe b, is connected with each of the tubs by short branchpipes d, d, d, furnished with stop-cocks, which, when open, connect the tubs with the pipe b, as shewn best in fig. 3; the pipes d, are also furnished with stop-cocks c, for closing all communication with the tubs f, f. A small metal box i, (see figs. 1, and 2,) is placed on the top of the first tub f, and opens into it; from this box i, a bent pipe k, descends to the bottom of the second tub f, as shewn in the plan view, fig. 3, and connects the two tubs together; the sccond tub is con