elliptical springs. Second,-preventing the shock, occasioned by the sudden breaking of the material under operation, from re-acting on and deranging the mechanism, by causing the spring to act upon an arrangement of gearing, whereby a flywheel or other counteracting agent may be set in motion, in order to absorb or modify the power exerted by the spring when suddenly relieved from a state of tension.

TO JOHN PATERSON, of Wood-street, in the City of London, manufacturer, for improvements in buckles or fastenings. -[Sealed 8th October, 1852.]

THIS invention consists in forming a buckle or fastening by inserting a moveable or sliding bar, or two or more bars, within a frame, one of which is free to slide therein, while the others remain stationary.

In Plate XI., fig. 1, is a front view of one of the improved buckles. a, b, c, d, is a metal frame, the sides c, and d, of which are slotted out, so as to allow the moveable or sliding bar e, to rise up and down therein. One end of the brace is permanently attached to the top part of the frame at a, and the free end of the tab is introduced from the back of the buckle, between the sliding-bar and the top of the frame, and is then brought over the sliding-bar, and passed between it and the lower part of the frame; so that, as long as there is a strain on the tab, it will be held securely in its place; and the stronger the strain the tighter will be the hold. In order to lengthen or shorten the brace, the sliding-bar must be raised towards the top part of the frame, and more or less of the tab drawn through. Figs. 2, and 3, are respectively a front elevation and section of a brace buckle, with the fixed bar inserted within the frame, in addition to the moveable or sliding bar, the action being the same as in the buckle shewn at fig. 1: instead, however, of the brace being permanently attached to the top of the frame, it is secured to the stationary bar. Fig. 4, is a back view and fig. 5, a section of a buckle, suitable for waistbands and belts. In this modification the sliding-bar moves to and fro in two caps c, c, rivetted to the back of the buckle, instead of slots being cut out in the sides of the frame. Fig. 6, is a front view, and fig. 7, a section of a buckle, in which the ends of the moveable bar are slotted out, so as to slide up and down in the two end bars of the buckle.

The patentee claims, Firstly,—the manufacturing of buckles

or fastenings, with a moveable or sliding-bar, in the manner hereinbefore exemplified and described. And, Secondly,the manufacturing of buckles or fastenings, with two or more bars held in a frame; the one being free to move or slide, while the other bar or bars is or are stationary.

TO JOHN STRINGFELLOW, of Chard, in the county of Somerset, engineer, for improvements in galvanic batteries for medical and other purposes.—[Sealed 2nd October, 1852.]

THIS invention is distinguished from former contrivances, for producing voltaic electricity to be worn on the person, by being a battery formed of small compound plates or bars, composed of any two simple or compound metals of suitable chemical qualities. These plates are permanently connected together, so as to form one system: the whole system, when required, is capable of being folded into two or more lengths and placed in a case, small enough to be carried in the pocket. The acid necessary to the action of the metallic plates is carried in contact with them, either by means of filtering paper or other bibulous substances, or a collection of fibres between the two metals, or by means of the capillary force which the metals themselves supply when the space left between them is sufficiently narrow. In the latter case the metals are prevented from touching each other by threads or paper interposed between them at intervals. The voltaic electricity, developed by the battery, is conveyed to any parts of the person by means of metallic wires covered with braid, and furnished with a metallic plate at the end of each. The whole may be conveniently worn on the person without exciting any remark by its appearance. These descriptions of batteries are applicable for other than medical or physiological purposes.

The patentee observes, that what is called a compound plate or bar, is here called a "voltaic or galvanic pair," or simply a "pair." Any number of such pairs combined, temporarily or permanently, in one system, is called a "battery." So much of a folded battery, in which the connection is permanent, as is contained between joint and joint, is called a "leaf."

In Plate X., figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, represent the manner in which the voltaic pairs are constructed,-a, being a plate of amalgamated zinc of the form shewn at fig. 1; around

which a bibulous or fibrous material is wound, such as thread, silk, hair, small gut, asbestos, or any substances capable of insulating one metal from another. Figs. 2, 3, and 4, represent strips of copper or other metal, electo-negative to the metal plate a,-fig. 2, being formed of copper gauze; fig. 3, of a strip of copper, having two rows of slots punched out of the metal; and fig. 4, a similar strip, but pierced or perforated with a number of circular holes; each of which strips are bent round the zinc plates a, and the edges soldered together. Or, instead of using these strips, the voltaic pair is formed by winding lengths of flattened copper wire round the zinc plates in a spiral direction, an insulating substance being placed between the two metals. b, b, are pieces of flattened wire, which are inserted beneath the negative metal, and soldered thereto, but insulated from the zinc bars, or positive metal, by pieces of varnished paper, gutta-percha, or other insulating material, interposed between them.

In order to construct a galvanic battery, two or any greater number of galvanic pairs are combined, and formed into a series by soldering the ends of one piece of flattened wire of one pair to the zinc plate of the next, as represented at fig. 5. These small galvanic pairs, when so combined in leaves, may be arranged in any number or series, so as to form a battery of intensity by uniting the poles of one leaf or battery and the dissimilar poles of the next in the series, by means of projecting tubes c, c, which are made hollow, for the purpose of inserting the connecting wires; and, in order to form a battery of quantity, the similar poles are connected throughout the series, one of the tubes c, being soldered to the zinc plate, while another is attached to the copper or positive pole.

Fig. 6. is a plan view of a series of leaves, constructed in a similar manner to that shewn at fig. 5: instead, however, of baving a rigid connection throughout, there is a hinged joint d, d, which admits of the battery being folded and inserted into a case, as shewn at fig. 7, so as to be carried with great facility. Strips of gutta-percha or other insulating medium are placed, at intervals, on some of the pairs in each leaf, in order to prevent the leaves of the battery, when folded or placed in juxta-position, from coming into metallic contact. It will be necessary to observe that, in the hinged joint, the hinges must be so arranged that one side or half of the hinge shall be in communication with the positive metal, while the other half is in connection with the opposite or negative metal (see fig. 6). The projecting tubes c, c, are placed in the opposite ends and poles of the series.

Fig. 8, represents another form of portable battery, in which the leaves are arranged in a manner similar to the leaves of a book; that is, they are hinged at the back: any number of such leaves may be so connected together. In order to excite the voltaic pairs, when required for use, a sponge, moistened with diluted acid, is drawn along their surface,the intensity of the current generated depending upon the strength of the exciting acid. When it is desired to connect the plates in any galvanic series, a flexible metallic band or cord is employed, the ends of which terminate in a hook, snap, or other kind of fastening, according to the formation of the plates to be connected. These cords may be also employed for conveying the current from the battery to its intended application. In order to convey the electric current generated by the batteries, metallic snaps, similar to those used for connecting the ends of necklaces, are inserted into the projecting tubes c, c, to which flexible metallic bands or cords are attached, terminating, either in metallic discs or points, according to the uses for which the current is to be employed. These flexible metallic cords or bands are made in the following manner:-Thin strips of flattened wire, of any suitable or required length, are wound round threads of cotton, silk, or other suitable material; and a series of threads, so covered together, is afterwards twisted, so as to form a cord or band; after which, threads of silk, mohair, or other similar materials, are plaited or braided round the cords.

The patentee claims, Firstly, the several combinations and arrangements of galvanic pairs permanently connected, so as to form a battery, as herein before described and represented. And, Secondly, the flexible metallic connectingbands or cords herein before described.

TO WILLIAM JOSEPH CURTIS, of Grafton-place, Eustonsquare, in the county of Middlesex, civil engineer, for the invention of certain improvements in the formation of tramroads or railroads, and carriages that run thereon.[Sealed 27th November, 1852.]

THE peculiarity of this invention consists in constructing a tram or rail road, which requires no flange either on the rail or wheel; it is likewise immaterial that the gauge should be exact, a considerable variation in the gauge making no difference to the working of the carriages along it.

In countries where railroads of the ordinary construction

are used, this tramroad will be used to fill up the interstices or spaces within the main lines, or to be carried through those parts of the country which are too poor or inconsiderable to warrant the outlay required by the ordinary mode of constructing railroads it will also be applicable to the common roads of the country and streets of cities and towns, as carriages will run as light upon this tramroad as upon an edge railway. But the greatest value of this tramroad will be in its application to the colonies, and in rough and thinly populated countries; in which case, the trams will be made of the timber of the country then-after a country has been opened up, by means of this tramway, and its wealth and population have increased by placing iron rails, in the ordinary way, upon the wooden trams, locomotives can be used, as in the ordinary railroad,

The mode of constructing the timber trams is to lay the trees, either the top end of one resting on the butt end of the other, or to lay them side by side. All that is necessary is, that the transverse levels should be adjusted as in ordinary railroads. It is immaterial that the trees should be straight, excepting on the surface side, in the case of iron trams being used. As they would be, in most cases, in connection with railroads, the trams or rails may be, like the ordinary rails, fixed on either cross longitudinal sleepers or bars of iron about two inches wide, or more or less, if found necessary, projecting about an inch above the surface; so that the wheel may run free of the ground when upon the tram. In the case of wooden trams, one to two inches will be found the best space for the tram to project above the surface.

The carriages to be used upon this tramroad may be made in the ordinary mode for carriages upon common roads, either as carts with two wheels, or as waggons or carriages for four wheels; but the wheels must be made as will be hereafter explained. The best mode of making the carriage is to place the pivot of the carriage for the fore-wheels about two feet or thirty inches behind the centre, so that the carriage may be dragged with equal facility either backwards or forwards; besides which, this arrangement will cause a train of carriages, upon this construction, to follow better round curves.

The wheels are made either as rollers, with gudgeons in them, or each wheel may be detached, as in ordinary carriages. The wheels or rollers are bevilled at each end, in order to facilitate their passing on or off the trams with facility. The carriages being worked by animal power, so long as the animal keeps the centre of the track the carriages will keep upon