The high or low

and melted in the usual manner, in crucibles. state of carbonization may be judged of by the colour, which will vary from blue to purple, straw colour, and grey; that which is blue having less carbon, and is less firmly united together; and that which is grey, and more united, is charged in a higher degree with carbon. The quantity and hardness of the steel may be varied by a judicious selection of the cemented steel, so as to adapt it to the purposes to which it has to be applied.

Specification of the Patent granted to JOHN BETHELL, of Saint John's Hill, Wandsworth, in the county of Surrey, for Improvements in Treating and Preparing certain Oils and Fatty Matters. Sealed March 28, 1840.*

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c., &c. The object of my invention, so far as relates to improvements in treating and preparing oils, is to render certain oils, viz.: whale, elephant whale, Newfoundland whale, seal, rapeseed, teel, olive, palm, cocoa-nut, or any of the other common oils, more useful, either for lubricating machinery, or for the purpose of illumination, and which I effect, first, by separating, clarifying, or precipitating, a portion of the gelatinous, albuminous, or other matters contained therein; and, secondly (when such are required for burning in lamps, or for illumination), by adding thereto a portion of hydrocarbon, or essential oils, hereinafter named; and as regards the treating and preparing of certain fatty matters, the object of my invention is the manner in which I have hereinafter described, from butter of palm, cocoa-nut oil, or any other vegetable concrete oil, produced an oil which is more useful for mixing my purified oils, and which process also improves the fatty matter, or concrete oil, so operated upon, and which improvements I propose to carry into effect, in manner hereinafter described; that is to say-as to that part of the invention which relates to oils :

First Process.-I take any or either of the common oils above named, and I purify them from the gelatinous, albuminous, and other matters contained therein, by first thoroughly well mixing the oil with a solution of tannin, which may be obtained from any of the vegetable matters yielding it; but I prefer using a strong infusion of gall-nuts in hot water, of which I take ten gallons, and thoroughly mix it with 100 gallons of oil, in any convenient manner. This mixture must afterwards be allowed to rest for three or four days, until all the tannin infusion, and precipitated matter, has settled down to the bottom. The clear supernatent oil is then drawn off, and again agitated and mixed with a solution of either acetate of lead, acetate of alumine, or sulphate of zinc, which I prefer using in the following proportions-viz.: 1 lb. of acetate of lead dissolved in 6 gallons of water, or 1 lb. of acetate of alumine dissolved in 4 gal

Report of Patent Inventions."

lons of water, or 1 lb. of sulphate of zinc dissolved in 6 gallons of water; and I mix 10 gallons of either of such solutions with 100 gallons of oil; but I do not confine myself to these proportions, as solutions of different strengths can be advantageously used for different oils. The oil, after three or four days' rest, is drawn off from the top, and, if not sufficiently clear, must be filtered through oilbags in the usual manner. During the period that the oil is undergoing the above operations, I prefer that it be kept at a temperature as near 17° Fahrenheit as possible. Should the oil be afterwards found to contain too much water, I cause it to be agitated with about 10 per cent. of fresh calcined sulphate of lime, in fine powder, or well dried carbonate of soda, to abstract the greater part of the water from it. The sulphate of lime, or soda, must be allowed to precipitate by rest, or the oil must be filtered through bags.

Second Process.-I take the oil as purified by my first process, or I take the more fluid parts of cocoa-nut or palm-oil, and for the purpose of making a good burning lamp-oil, I add thereto from 5 to 10 per cent. of either of the following essential oils, or hydrocarbons -viz.: petroleum, or rock-oil, Persian naptha, fine oil of turpentine, or the best essential oil, obtained from the distillation of coaltar, or the oil obtained, as hereinafter described, by distilling any of the above essential oils with palm or cocoa-nut oil; the quantity to be added depends on the kind of oil operated upon, and upon its strength, and will vary between 5 and 10 per cent., but will be easily ascertained by trying a small sample of the oil first. The essential oil, or hydrocarbon, must be intimately combined with the oil, either by thorough agitation together, or by passing the vapour of the essential oil, or hydrocarbon, into the oil in an apparatus similar to a Wolfe's apparatus, but the former method I prefer for general use. In some cases, either from the oils operated upon being of a superior quality, or from so fine an article not being required, it is not necessary to use both the above processes, as either of them will be found sufficient for the purpose required. If a superior burning lamp-oil is required, I prefer using both of the above processes; but for a common lamp-oil, the oil may be prepared by either one of the above processes, without being submitted to the other, particularly when it is prepared by the second process only; and for a lubricating oil the first process only is used. As to the treating and preparing fatty matters, I take the "butter of palm," or "rough palmoil," or 66 'rough cocoa-nut oil," or any other concrete vegetable oil, and add to either of these 20 per cent. of either of the essential oils above named. Put it into a common still, and distil off the essential oil, and the volatile matter which rises from the palm, or cocoa-nut oil; but I prefer distilling with steam, and for that purpose I put the mixture into a close wood-vat, furnished with a steam pipe, leading from a steam boiler, and branching out into several other pipes, placed in the bottom of the vat, and pierced with small holes; the charging-hole of the vat being shut, steam is driven through the

mass, and the volatile products are conducted through a pipe fixed in the top of the vat, to a common distilling-worm placed in cold water. The volatile oil so condensed I mix with the oils for burning in lamps, as above mentioned, and the concrete fatty matter remaining in the vat is run out into casks, and will be found much improved, and more useful for many purposes.

In describing my improvements, I have stated the proportions of the different materials to be used which I prefer; but I do not confine myself to such proportions, as they may be advantageously varied with different oils.

Specification of a Patent granted to ALEXANDER PARKES, of Birmingham, Artist, for certain Improvements in the production of Works of Art, by Electric Deposition. September 29, 1841.*

THESE improvements consist in manufacturing articles in gold or silver by means of electric deposition upon suitable moulds, and in subsequently strengthening the articles so produced.

For this purpose the patentee uses the following solutions of these metals:

Gold. An ounce of pure gold is dissolved in aqua regia, and evaporated to dryness, when 2 gallons of water, and 16 ounces of prussiate of potash, are added to it. This solution is used at a temperature of 120°, or 130°, of Fahr.

Silver. An ounce of pure silver, dissolved in nitric acid, is precipitated as oxide of silver, by lime water; the oxide being well washed, is mixed with one pound of prussiate of potash in two gallons of water.

The moulds used for this purpose are of metal, or other suitable material, in one or more parts, and may be removed from the finished article by melting or dissolving them.

The patentee prefers to use the compound, or independent battery, from which the electric current is conveyed from the battery into a cell, or vessel, containing the metallic solution, and a plate of gold or silver, to be eroded by the electric action.

If the metal is to be precipitated on the interior of a mould, as in forming a bust, &c., the plate is placed within the mould; but if the metal is to be deposited on the external surface of the mould, the plate is placed on the outside thereof.

If the article produced requires greater strength than would be desirable to be given by the thickness of the precious metals, it may be strengthened by depositing copper within it, until the required substance is obtained; or the article may be filled with some fusible metal.

The claim is 1. To the mode of manufacturing articles in gold and silver, by deposition thereof by electric agency, in or on suitable moulds or models, which may be removed from the articles

• "Mechanics' Magazine."

of gold or silver, when the same have been formed. 2. To the mode of manufacturing articles of gold or silver, on or in metal moulds or models, which are deposited by electric means; such moulds or models being afterwards reinoved as described. 3. To the mode of manufacturing articles of gold or silver, by electric deposition, on or in moulds or models, when such moulds or models are removed by heat or solution. 4. To the mode of manufacturing articles of gold or silver, by electric deposition, in or on moulds or models made up of parts. 5. To the mode of strengthening articles of gold or silver, produced in or on moulds, by electric depositions, by introducing a baser metal within them.

For an Improved Mode of Block Printing on various kinds of Fabrics, and for Apparatus, &c., for that purpose; ROBERT HAMPSON, Manchester, June 7, 1841.

THE printing block is attached to a cross frame, which slides on straight edges at the four corners of the main frame, and has a rod attached to its middle that slides through a hole made in a set of arms at the top of a main frame. To the upper end of the rod there is a band attached, which passes over two pulleys, and has appended to it a counter weight, to balance the whole.

The fabric to be printed is drawn through the machine, and over the bed on which it rests, to receive the impression, which is given by means of blocks, in a manner well known to machinists. The colours are so arranged in separate sieves as that they can be drawn apart to receive new colours, and then brought together again to apply the colours to the block; the sets of sieves are placed upon a platform provided with wheels, running on rails. The platform, with the colours, is passed under the block, which is then let down to receive that which is wanted. The sieve is then drawn away, and the block descends upon the fabric, to impress the pattern; and the operation is in this manner repeated.

Claim." I declare that I claim as of my invention the apparatus, or machinery, constructed as set forth, for printing with blocks on woven fabrics of various kinds : that is to say, I claim the combining of a block for printing in various colours with the apparatus, or mechanical agents for causing said block to descend in a perpendicular direction in order to take up the colour from the sieve, or sieves, and to impress the pattern, or design, upon the fabric; said apparatus, or mechanical agents consisting of the cross frame, the arms, the straight edges at the corners of the main frame, the rod, the band, and counter weight, with their appendages; the whole being so connected as that by raising the counter weight the cross frame and block will descend, and the colour be received on the block, or the impression given to the fabric; and I claim the same however the same mechanical agents and contrivances may be modified or varied in size, form, proportion, or other particulars, not

departing from the principle of my invention; but I do not claim as my invention such mechanical agents, or contrivances, separately, but only as combined to effect the purpose aforesaid; nor do I claim as part of my said invention the apparatus hereinbefore described for traversing the colouring apparatus to and fro, by means of a railway carriage running thereon-the same although invented by me, having been by me used and practised previous to the grant of the said letters patent; nor do I claim as of my invention the arrangement of rollers and connected apparatus for causing the fabric to traverse, or be drawn over, the printing table, and conveyed away when printed. And I further declare that I claim as of my invention such colouring apparatus as hereinbefore described, in which several sieves are separated and held apart, to admit of the several colours being distributed and traced, or spread thereon, without admixture or interference one with another, and whereby the sieves are afterwards closed, or brought into juxtaposition, in order to the colours being taken up by the block, so as to produce at one impression of the block, or pattern, or design, or parts of a pattern or design, in several colours, arranged contiguous, or near to each other, as hereinbefore described; and which colouring apparatus I claim, whether the same be used in conjunction with the machinery before described, or with the common hand block, or otherwise, and under whatever other modification."

Fabrication of Gas for lighting from Soap-suds employed in cleansing Stuffs. By M. HOUZEAU MUIRON.*

A FEW years ago, the immense quantity of soap-suds employed in the city of Rheims, in preparing woollen stuffs was entirely lost. M. Houzeau Muiron conceived the idea of extracting from them the fatty matter, and of making an important application thereof. In fact, by submitting them to a regular purification, he has obtained a limpid oil, with which he succeeds in preparing the soaps in demand in commerce, while the residue of this purification serves for the advantageous production of a gas for lighting a part of the city.

The soap-suds collected in the shops, where they have become saturated with grease and the impurities of the tissues, are poured together into a large basin which is capable of containing about 3,000 gallons. To decompose them, there is poured upon them 308 pounds of muriatic acid, or 154 pounds of sulphuric acid, first diluted with its own weight of water, and the mass is rapidly agitated until the decomposition is complete.

Shortly afterwards a froth is seen to form, which at the end of twelve or eighteen hours is sufficiently well separated from the water

"Jour. de Pharm, et de Chim.," May, 1842.