THE REGISTER OF ARTS, AND JOURNAL OF PATENT INVENTIONS. PATENTS RECENTLY ENROLLED. RECIPROCATING ACTION FROM A ROTATORY MOTION.-William Parr, of the City-road, and James Bluett, of Blackwall, Middlesex, ship-joiner, have patented "a new method of producing at reciprocating action by means of a rotatory motion to be applied to the working of all kinds of pumps, or other machinery, in or to which reciprocating action is required or may be applied." Such is the title which the patentees have prefixed to their invention, which consists in two pinions placed on the same axis; so connected with it and each other by locking pins, that one of the pinions are caused to turn with the axis, while the other is permitted to run loosely upon it, and this they do alternately. These pinions are placed within a reciprocating frame, furnished with two racks, the one placed to be acted upon by the right side of one of the pinions when it is locked to the axis, and thus cause the frame to advance, and the other to be acted upon by the left side of the other pinion, while it is locked to the axis, and the first permitted to run freely, and thus cause the frame to retreat again. When the reciprocating frame has advanced to its greatest extent, it acts upon the locking geer, which releases the first, while it attaches the second pinion to the axis. It will be perceived that the rack on one side must be placed the thickness of the pinion more forward than the rack on VOL. IV.No. 73. 1ST AUGUST, 1829. B the other, so that each can be acted upon only by the pinion to which it belongs. The motion produced by this reciprocating machinery will be uniform throughout each stroke, which is not the case by a reciprocating motion produced through the medium of a crank, and this would be an advantage in many cases connected with the cotton and woollen manufactures; but the uniformity of motion throughout the stroke would decidedly be disadvantageous, when applied to pumps, the only instance of application mentioned by the patentees, for in them the gradual increase and decrease of motion produced by the crank at the beginning and end of each stroke becomes absolutely necessary, when the pistons, piston rods, and other reciprocating parts of the apparatus are heavy. NINI.. TABLE-FORKS AND KNIFE-SHARPENERS.-George Rogers, cutler, J. C. Hobson, merchant, and J. Brownill, cutler, all of Sheffield, Yorkshire, have patented an improvement in table-forks, by which they can be applied to sharpen table-knives. This improvement, though principally applicable to carving-forks, may be applied with advantage to other forks. It consists in attaching to the stem between the handle and the root of the prongs three or more projecting pieces of steel fixed to it by a screw pivot, passing through their centres. The edges of these steels, which are slightly fluted, to produce a filing action on the knives, are curved so as to form the same angle with each other, whether their roots or points are brought in contact to act on the knives. These projecting steels, when applied to carving-forks form a guard, and they are not much larger than the usual guard, and hence they become very convenient in use, as they are always at hand when required. This is certainly the best of the numerous knife-sharpeners on the same principle, which have recently been submitted to the public. PROPELLING VESSELS.-Orlando Harris Williams, of North Nibley, Gloucestershire, has obtained a patent for "certain improvements in the paddles and machinery for propelling ships and other vessels on water." The patentee has two objects in view ; first, to have the means of increasing or diminishing the surface of the paddles, according to the depth of the vessel in the water; and, secondly, to have the means of making them enter and leave the water edgeways. The first of these objects he proposes to accomplish by the application of the introduction of double leaves to the paddles, which are attached by bolts to projecting arms or radii from the paddle-wheel, so that one of the leaves may be shifted |