The iron for the button back must be the best charcoal iron, and it should be annealed during the process. Fig. 25, shows the concave side of the button back, and 26, the convex side, with the shank complete.

The tools used for cutting or piercing the shank, and at the same time turning or rounding the edges thereof, must be formed with great accuracy in order that they may take off the rough edges of the metal forming the shank, otherwise if any rough or sharp edge be left, it will cut the buttonhole, and also the thread or other material, in sewing the button on the garment. Fig. 20, shows the punch a, and the bed b, in the position for piercing and bevelling and throwing back the edges; and fig. 21, the same tools when the shank is pierced. Fig. 24, shows a section of the piercing and bevelling punch, one side being flat and the other round; and fig. 23, F, shows a perspective view of the piercing tools with the button in them; figs. 22, and 23, show respectively the outside and inside of the button back in the act of piercing.

To make solid metal buttons, take a common metal button shank of the size required, and by means of a stamp or press from two small square concavities, (see fig. 28) near the centre, at proper distances, to receive both ends of the shank; I then take a common button shank of the form shown by fig. 29, the ends of the shank being made to fit into the concavities of the button blank; I then put the shank into a shank die with the ends inserted into the concavities of the blank, and then with a top die to be forced or struck down upon it by means of the press or stamp, unite or fasten the shank and blank together, and at the same time by the use of the press or stamp impress upon the button any fancy pattern if required. Fig. 30, shows this shank complete.

Now, whereas I claim as my invention the following improvements, (that is to say) the improved shank to the brace

button or bottom for a metallic shell, Florentine or other covered button, which shank being raised as aforesaid out of the metal, is so cut or pierced that the edges of the shank are turned under as aforesaid, which turning under prevents the cutting the thread of the button-holes complained of in the raised and cut or pierced shank, the edges of which are not turned under as aforesaid. Secondly, the wire shank fixed or rivetted to the button without the use of solder.[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, May, 1836.]

[The same object, viz. making apertures in a button shank pressed out of a metallic disc, formed the subject of a patent granted to Dr. Church, 26th March, 1829.-[See our Second Series, vol. v. p. 249; and also another patent to John Holmes, 4th May, 1833. See the present conjoined series, vol. iii. p. 69.--EDITOR.]

TO DAVIDNAPIER, of Warren-street, Fitzroy square, in the county of Middlesex, engineer, for his having invented certain improvements in printing and in pressing machinery, with a method of economising power applicable to the same; which method of economising power is also applicable to other purposes.-[Sealed 13th October, 1830.]

THESE improvements are divided into four distinct heads; the first of which apply to a rotary printing machine, the second to an inking apparatus, the third to pressing paper after it has been printed and dried, and the fourth to a means of overcoming the dead point of a crank or winch.

The general features of the machine are the same as those usually employed for printing, called Napier's, having two printing cylinders, two tables and forms of type, and in

which the sheets of paper are conducted by endless tapes from the laying-on boards above. The Patentee has therefore not considered it necessary to describe the whole machine in detail, as most of its parts are old and well known.

The first head of the invention is described as consisting in keeping two printing cylinders in rotary motion by their being acted upon by two reciprocating racks. The construction is this-two horizontal tables with their respective forms of type are connected together, mounted upon rollers set in the side frames, which enable the tables to travel to and fro horizontally; two printing cylinders placed across the machine turn with their axles in bearings upon standards at the sides of the frame, for the purpose of pressing the paper upon the forms of types as it passes beneath, and thereby obtaining the impressions. The axle of each cylinder has a pulley or rigger affixed to it, and these are connected together by a band which is crossed, so that when rotary motion is given to one axle by a winch or by a crank and steam power, both cylinders turn in opposite directions.

A horizontal rack is fixed at the side of each table, and upon the axle of each printing cylinder a wheel turns loosely these wheels have half their circumference cut with teeth, intended to take into the rack, and the other half plain. At the side of each of these wheels a spring click or catch is attached, which is, by its spring, brought into contact with a stop in the end of each cylinder; hence it will be perceived, that as the cylinders keep continually revolving, the spring click or catch will cause the wheels to be carried round with the cylinders.

The half circle of teeth of one wheel being, as the wheels revolve, brought into gear with one of the horizontal racks, the tables, with the forms of type, will be carried along under the printing cylinders; the one to produce the impres

the

sion upon a sheet of paper conducted on to it by tapes, other to receive its ink from the inking rollers ready to give to the next impression.

By this horizontal movement of the tables, the other rack, at the reverse end, will now be brought into gear with the half circle of teeth on the other wheel; and, as the printing cylinders continue revolving in opposite directions, the tables and forms of type will now be slidden the reverse way, and a sheet of paper be printed from the form last inked. Thus, the reciprocating horizontal movement of the tables and forms are produced, and the machine is made to give impression to the sheets of paper as it traverses to and fro.

The second head, is the adaptation to the above printing machine, that combination of levers called Bolton and Watt's parallel motion, for the purpose of conducting the inking rollers to and fro, for the purpose of receiving the ink from the duct and depositing it upon the types. This apparatus may be worked by hand, or by any convenient mechanism connected with the rotary motion of the cylinders.

The third feature of the invention, that is, pressing the sheets of paper after they have been printed and dried, is intended to supersede the old press worked by a screw, or by hydrostatic power, and consists in passing the sheets between a pair of rollers covered with glazed paper. This is only to be considered as new, in its application to pressing paper which has been printed.

The fourth object, viz. that of economising power, is by applying a coiled spring, like those employed in clocks, to assist in passing a crank or winch over the dead point of its rotation. This spring may be so connected, that it shall exert its power at the dead point, and be wound up into tension when the crank or winch has its full power. A lever is proposed to be attached to the barrel of the spring

for the purpose of bringing it into tension; which lever may be raised by hand, or by any connexion with the stroke of the steam piston; and it is suggested that this contrivance may be adapted to other machinery where the crank or winch is employed.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, April, 1831.]

To JOHN TYRRELL, of St. Leonard's, in the county of Devon, Esq., barrister-at-law, for his invention of a method and apparatus for selling sums for the purpose of teaching some of the rules of arithmetic.-[Sealed 13th November, 1830.]

THIS is one of the most extraordinary schemes that we ever remember to have seen dignified with the title of patent. This "apperatus, for setting sums for the purpose of teaching some of the rules of arithmetic," is described as consisting simply of several strips of parchment or stiff paper, on which numerical figures are to be written. These strips are to be placed one above the other, and wound upon small rollers enclosed within a box, in which a small aperture is cut for the purpose of exposing to view so many of the figures only as are required, when arranged, to constitute the sum intended to be worked, which is done by drawing along or winding up the strips until such figure are seen through the aperture.

No directions are given as to any mode of applying these figures, or of working the sums, nor is any novelty in the process of making the caculation proposed; it seems that the apparatus above described is merely designed to show the figures of a sum in black and