Lane, Ward, Haghe, Maguire, Hayter, Scharf, Fairland, Nash, D. Roberts, Doyle, Prout, F. Tayler, Cattermole, Stanfield, Owen Jones, Hanhart, &c. Among so much of excellence it is difficult to single out individuals for praise, as each has his peculiar merit; but, for high finish and minuteness of execution (things very difficult of attainment in lithography), a specimen of Mr. Lane's, in Class I., deserves great commendation. As regards subject, Class II. had greatly the advantage. Roberts' Spanish sketches, and also his illustrations of the Holy Land, drawn on stone by Haghe-the reduced drawings of the prize cartoons, by the Linnells and Maguire-Prout's sketches-and Nash's old English mansions, were among the best of this class. In some of the colored specimens in Class III., we fancied the brush had been busy to bring up the effect. Upon this point we should not like to declare more positively without a closer inspection; but, if such was the case, the printer may be assured that such a trick is not advisable, on more grounds than one. The specimens which appeared to excite the greatest interest, are the lithotint drawings in Class IV.; their resemblance to Indian ink and sepia drawings being remarkable; and the freedom of touch and effect of shadow being most successfully represented. For this style of work, the selection of subjects and the kinds of treatment adopted by Mr. Cattermole and Mr. Tayler are well suited.

It would be a good feature, in a repetition of this exhibition, to set apart a small space for the best specimens of foreign lithography, in order that the public may properly appreciate the advance made by our artists in this branch of art, which, in its higher styles, is comparatively a new importation. A comparison with the works of Belgic and French artists, who, from longer experience, may be considered to possess greater facilities than ourselves (at least in the mode of printing), would doubtless benefit the art in this country, by stimulating our artists to greater exertions. In respect to the illustration of machinery, the exhibition was wholly deficient; this we should be glad to see corrected on a future occasion, as mechanical drawing on stone, although carried to great perfection in Belgium, is but little used in this country, on account, perhaps, of the prevailing notion that it must necessarily be very inferior to copper-plate engraving.

The specimens in Class VI, did not, to our thinking, display the merits of the Anastatic process to advantage: more care in the proofing was very desirable. As a whole, it is impossible to look upon this exhibition otherwise than with satisfaction, whether we consider it as a display of ability of both artists and printers, or as an advance made by the Society of Arts to a useful course of action.

REPORT OF AMERICAN PATENTS.
From the "Journal of the Franklin Institute."

BY MR. C. M. KELLER.

To ANTHONY SMITH, of Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, for improvements in machinery for beaming, breaking, and fleshing hides. THE scraping knife which acts on the hide is jointed to a frame that slides on the end of a jointed beam, by means of a crank motion; the beam being jointed simply to enable the attendant to regulate the pressure of the scraping knife on the hide, which is secured to the top of a table, that receives a reciprocating motion to move the hide from end to end, while the vibration of the sliding frame carries the knife or scraper across it.

The patentee claims the vibrating scraper, constructed, combined, and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth,-the pressure being regulated by the operative, while the scraper is driven by power. He also claims, in combination with the above, the moveable table above described, on which the hides are fastened, and are moved under the knife.

To JOHN A. ROEBLING, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for improve-
ments in the wire cable or chain suspension bridge.

THE patentee says, "My plan of anchorage differs very materi-
ally from the mode hitherto pursued. It is principally calculated
for such locations where there is no rock, and where an artificial
anchorage has to be made. In most cases, the practice has been
to resist the pressure of the anchor plates, to which the chains or
cables are attached (and which are continued below ground in a
straight course), directly by a large mass of solid masonry, con-
structed either in the form of arches or straight walls, and butt-
ing against the abutments upon which the towers rest, which
support the chains or cables. In this case, pressure is trans-
mitted to a small surface of stone wall, which has to be con-
structed with great care and of the best of masonry.
And as the
base of this masonry is but small, its extent in length must be
proportionally large, so as to offer the necessary resistance.

In place of resting the anchor plate directly against a stone wall, I apply in any mode a system of timbers, which serve in a manner as a foundation for the superincumbent masonry, distribute the great pressure of the anchor plates over a large surface of masonry, reduce therefore its length or depth, and, by its yielding or clastic nature, prevent the breaking of the anchor plates. I prefer curving the chain or cables below ground, in place of continuing them straight. It is also my practice to surround all the iron below ground by hydraulic cement, and wall it in with solid masonry, in place of leaving an open channel, as is the case in most suspension bridges. The cement with which I surround the chains or cables preserves them against rusting

effectually. Where greater precaution is desired, the chains may be enclosed in lead.

The patentee claims the application of a timber foundation in place of stone, in connexion with anchor plates, to support the pressure of the anchor chains or cables against the anchor masonry of a suspension bridge, for the purpose of increasing the base of that masonry, to increase the surface exposed to pressure, and to substitute wood as an elastic material in place of stone for the bedding of the anchor plates. The timber foundation either to occupy an inclined position, where the anchor cables or chains are continued in a straight line below ground, or to be placed horizontally when the anchor cables are curved; the whole to be in substance, and in its main features, constructed as fully above described.

To HORACE CHILDS, of Henniker, New Hampshire, for improvements in bridges.

THE patentee says, "In the construction of arch bridges, with diagonal braces between the under and upper arch pieces, the practice has heretofore been to abut the braces against the post and arch pieces at the junction of the two; so that the two braces, on opposite sides of each post, apply all the strain to the arch-piece at one point. This necessarily tends to break it at this point, and does not transfer the strain from one part of the arch to other parts-a result so important in a good bridge.

The object of the first part of my invention is to arrange the diagonal braces between the lower and upper arch pieces, or archpiece and its chord, and at a sufficient distance within the posts and vertical connecting rods, as to make that portion of the archpiece perform the function of a lever; the post or connecting rod being the fulcrum; and thus to transfer the strain applied to any part of the arch from one diagonal brace to another, throughout the series, and in this way give to the arch-truss the greatest amount of stiffness due to the amount of timber employed.

'It is also well known that bridges are exposed to much lateral strain from wind, tending to force the arch-trusses over out of plumb; and as an arch loses much of its strength when out of plumb, it has become a matter of great importance to perfect a bridge against such tendencies. The second part of my invention consists in making the middle arch-truss of the bridge in two parts, inclined in opposite directions, connected together at top and separated at bottom, so that they resist the action of the wind in opposite directions."

Claim :- What I claim, therefore, as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the employment of the additional nuts upon the suspension rods under the upper end, above the lower stringers, substantially as herein described, whereby the suspension rods answer the additional purpose of counter braces,

VOL. XXXII.

G

as described. And I also claim the employment of the screwbolts combined with the thrust-braces, and projecting beyond them sufficiently to pass through the stringers where they are united with the posts, substantially as described; whereby the brace-posts and stringers are bound together, as herein described." To ALFRED STILLMAN, of the city of New York, for improvements in the mill for crushing sugar cane.

THE patentee says, "The usual method of crushing cane is to pass it between rollers arranged with two on one horizontal plane, and a third making pressure on one between them; and, as the cane is of a spongy texture, the moment it is relieved from the pressure of the rollers, it expands, and takes up much of the saccharine matter, by suction and capillary attraction; and, to avoid this difficulty, a second set of rollers have been combined with the first set, to re-crush the cane, after it has passed from the first; but experience has demonstrated that this will not do, for, after the cane has been crushed, by passing between the first set, it forms a very thin layer, which, if passed to the second set in that condition, will be ground or cut through by the pressure of the rollers, instead of being simply crushed or squeezed, to throw out the saccharine matter. To obviate this difficulty is the object of my invention, which consists in so connecting the two sets of rollers as to cause the crushed cane to pass to the second set in a considerable body or thickness, to prevent the rollers from cutting or grinding it through, by so combining the two sets of rollers, as that the cane shall be presented to the second set in a body much thicker than when delivered by the first set."

Claim." I do not claim as my invention, the combination of two sets of rollers, to crush and re-crush sugar cane, as this has heretofore been essayed; but what I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is so combining them, as to present the cane, after it has been crushed by the first set of rollers, to the second set, in a body much thicker than when it left the first set, the more effectually to express the saccharine matter, and to prevent the second set of rollers from cutting through the mass; the whole being effected on the principle substantially as herein described."

To GEO. E. WARRING, and R. E. PETERSON, of the city of New
York, for improvements in machinery for spinning.

CLAIM: "What we claim as our invention is, the forming the
bobbin on the tube carrying the bobbin, or the tube itself, or
the tube and bobbin combined, in such a manner, that the upper
bearing at the upper end of the tube or bobbin shall be against
the spindle; and the lower bearing, laterally, shall be against a
fixture on or in the rail below, or against a lateral bearing on the
rail itself; the bobbin or tube not having any other bearing except
at its two extremities. And we also claim as new, and of our

invention, the placing of a roller in front of the drawing roller, and revolving the same in the direction of the arrow, and the use of the same in connexion with spinning fibrous substances."

The object of the roller referred to in the second section of the claim, is to assist in carrying up the twist. It is placed forward of the last draw roller, and the thread passes over it on its way to the flyer; the said roller being made to rotate about ten times as fast as the last draw roller.

To OVANDO HURLBUT, of Buffalo, New York, for a cure for hernia, called the appilative.

THE patentee says, "The nature of my invention consists in constructing an appillative composition, in the shape of the truss pad, to apply to ruptures, which composition gradually heals the parts, and continues to flatten down, by the heat of the body, as the cure proceeds. My remedy is composed of the following ingredients: 1. Take the bark of the root of the common hemlock, (Pinus Canadensis.) 2. The inner bark of white oak, (Quercus Alba.) 3. Common brake root, (Pteris Aquilina). 4. The bark of green osier; all of equal quantities, and pounded finely in its green state, then mixed and put into an iron kettle; pour rainwater on it till the powder is covered, then raise the temperature to 180° Fahrenheit, and keep it constantly near the said degree of heat for three days; after this, throw the mass into a filter bag and let the fluid run off; keep the fluid, and put the drained mass into the kettle, pour water on it as before, and repeat the process till the maceration is completed. The fluids so obtained are mixed together, and the mass of the powder thrown away as useless. The said fluid is put into the kettle, the heat again raised to 180° F., and kept so till it is evaporated to the thickness of syrup. In this state it is poured into tin pans, and exposed to the action of the sun, or the moderate warmth of an oven, and continued at such a degree of heat till it attains the consistency of pitch, and it is then fit for use."

The patentee claims constructing an appilative composition, formed in the shape of a truss pad, and employed and operating in the manner described."

To JOHN DUTTON, of Axton, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in the manner of accumulating ice and cooling water.

THE patentee says,"The nature of this invention consists in cooling water and accumulating ice, by compressing air to onefifth its bulk, more or less, in any convenient manner, and causing it to suddenly expand to its original state, and come in contact with a body of water issuing from another vessel, and passing by the air outlet in such a manner that the water will be suddenly converted into ice, or a degree near it, on the general principle, that air, by suddenly expanding, generates cold, its capacity for heat being increased."