to this part of my invention, I take advantage of these properties to preserve for a longer time such substances, animal or vegetable, as have already been more or less perfectly dried, or more or less perfectly preserved with an antiseptic, such as hams, tongues, cheese, dried fruits, vegetables, &c., and the plan I adopt is to put them in vessels or cases along with the chloride of calcium, but so disposed as not to touch. The vessels or cases I generally make use of are made of tin, and I consider it advantageous to make a partial vacuum in the cases or vessels when the matters are very moist, and this I do by means of an air-pump. And the quantity of chloride of calcium I use is generally a tenth of the weight of the substance to be preserved, but I vary this proportion according to the state of dryness in which I find the substance to be preserved when put into the cases. The partial vacuum is not essential when the substances to be preserved are wholly or nearly wholly dried, such as well-dried hams. In packing the vessels I place the chloride of calcium in quantities of about a pound weight, and broken into pieces of about the size of a walnut, in blotting paper or calico, and pack the same in with the articles to be kept dry, and thereby preserved, and I fill up the interstices of the interior of the vessels with the husks of corn, and sometimes exhaust the air from the vessel after it has been closed (by soldering on the cover), such exhaustion being performed by an airpump, or other convenient means affixed to the vessel by a pipe, and I employ a gauge to indicate the vacuum when operating. I then close the vessel air-tight. To connect the barometer with any vessel I wish to extract the air from, I fix the one end of a piece of tin tubing of about five feet long and a quarter of an inch in the bore, to the top of the barometer, and the other end I put through a hole punched in the vessel, just large enough to receive it, and solder it round on the outside; when the vacuum is made I close the pipe with a pair of pincers, and then with a small nippers I cut it off close to just over where I caught it with the pincers, and then hermetically seal it, by drawing a soldering iron across it; the pipe being made of tin this is easily done. I use the tin tube so long as about eight feet, that the vibration caused in the pipe when working the air-pump in exhausting the vessel may be less felt when it is joined to the barometer, and

so secure the joint. The air-pump I connect in a similar manner to the vessel. I solder one end of a tin tube to a piece of hollow brass screwed to fit the hole in the centre of the plate of the air-pump, and join the other end, as before described, to the vessel, and cut it off and hermetically seal it in the same way. If the animal or vegetable matter have not been dried before putting them into the vessels, then I exhaust the air and use a much larger proportion of chloride of calcium. The quantity I use in this case is three or four times the weight of the matters to be dried, care being used to keep the chloride of calcium, by the modes before pointed out, from contact with the articles to be dried and kept dry thereby.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,

Firstly, the preserving animal and vegetable matters by drying the same by the aid of streams of air dried by chemical means, as herein described; and

Secondly, I claim the preserving animal and vegetable matters in closed vessels by drying and keeping them dry by means of chloride of calcium or other similar chemical absorbents. In witness, &c.

Enrolled July 28, 1845.

WILLIAM TRUEMAN YULE.

Specification of the Patent granted to JAMES GRAHAM, of Calvert-street, in the County of Middlesex, Metal Refiner, for Improvements in the Manufacture of Zinc, Antimony, and Brass, in Casting Brass, and in Apparatus for Making Pots used in such Processes.-Sealed February 17, 1845.

To all to whom these presents shall come &c., &c.These improvements relate―

Firstly, to applying certain apparatus to effect more advantageously the condensation of the zinc.

Secondly, to a certain arrangement in the construction of part of the pipe through which the distillation of the zinc is carried on, so that a considerable saving of labour is effected, and likewise the chance of loss from the

negligence of the workmen in performing such labour is avoided.

Thirdly, to a certain method of tapping pots containing molten zinc, antimony, and brass, whereby the zinc is obtained with greater purity than by the method usually adopted; and a considerable saving in fuel results in the melting of the metals; and

Fourthly, my invention relates to an apparatus for ramming the material when making pots used for the purposes above-mentioned. And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.

The first part of my invention I perform in the following manner: The lower ends of the descending pipes from the pots used in the manufacture of zinc are to be placed four to six inches under water and a suitable outlet for the gas or gases is to be formed, by which means the zinc is condensed more effectually. The immersion of the tube in water would, if alone resorted to, leave no exit for the gases generated, and consequently there would be such a pressure on the pots as would either burst or break them, or blow the water out of the ends of the pipes and vessels; to avoid this, I insert in the said pipe between the surface of the water and the underside of the brickwork of the furnace described in the specification of my former patent hereinafter referred to, a gas burner, with a cock, through which the gas or gases are allowed to escape, and I light and thus burn such gas or gases; and they burn with more or less intensity according to the rate of reduction of the metal, thereby serving, not only as a criterion of the progress of the operation but also as a means of saving and condensing the fine metal. By these means air will be prevented from coming in contact with the zinc vapour or the zinc in the descending tubes, and at the same time, the pressure being removed, the fine metal is preserved from oxydation and collected in the shape of finelydivided metal, instead of a considerable portion burning away, creating waste, and producing a nuisance. Towards the end of this process I have found that the gas or gases do not come off in sufficient quantities to burn. I then close the cock of the burner, and remove a quantity of the water from the vessel into which the descending pipes enter so as only just to seal the ends of the

pipes with water, and in order to prevent a vacuum, or partial vacuum in the pots should the fire get low, or otherwise, I apply a light valve in the side of the descending pipe, opening inwards.

The second part of my invention I effect as follows :In the manufacture of zinc I have for some time employed a lining of clay or earthen material to the upper part of the descending tubes, as is described in the specification of letters patent bearing date at Westminster, the 18th day of October, A.D. 1843, and granted to me for improvements in the construction of pots and furnaces used in the manufacture of zinc, and in other manufactures, and also improvements in the treatment of ores of zinc in the process of manufacturing zinc, instead of the lining which was attached or fixed at the upper part of the descending tubes. I place in the descending tubes a moveable clay pipe in order to line the same, by which the frequent labour of cleaning or scraping the descending metal tubes is dispensed with, it being only necessary to clean the moveable clay pipe once or twice during the operation, and when the charge is exhausted the said moveable clay pipe may be cleaned, or if not readily cleaned it may be broken, in order to separate the metallic zine which will, to some extent, be found adhering to this inner moveable clay pipe. The moveable clay-pipe I fix, by small clamps, at or near the bottom of the descending tube, or by any other appropriate means, allowing of the ready removal of such linings; and I would state in respect to this part of my invention that it is not new to line the descending tubes with clay pipes, I having, in my former specification, described the use of fixed clay lining, but I have since found in practice that it is desirable to have them readily removeable.

The manner of performing the third part of my invention consists in using pots or crucibles (placed in a furnace somewhat similarly constructed to the one described in the specification of my former patent) of the capacity desired, having each a hole on one side, close to the bottom, into the pots or crucibles, such holes being closed with clay. When the granulated zinc, antimony, or brass, above-mentioned is charged into these pots I close the top with a clay cover, which may be luted on or not. When the metal is melted it is to be tapped by means of a drill cutting away the clay at the holes, and the charge,

or any part thereof may be run out into ingots, or cast, or otherwise, observing only with respect to zinc, that after the charge is run out that which is left in the pot or crucible is to be stirred well round and round with a stick, or piece of wood, by which means the metal contained in the remaining portion will be liberated, and nothing will be left but oxide, which had better be removed before a fresh charge is put in. And it should be stated, that during the stirring, the hole is to be closed with clay, which is to be removed in order to run off the zinc which will have descended to the bottom of the pot or crucible. This furnace, as above stated, is to be constructed similar to those described in my former patent for making zinc; but in this instance there will be no pipes or tubes to the pots, but they will be heated and otherwise arranged like that furnace, leaving holes through the furnace for tapping the holes in the pot, which holes in the furnace will be closed with bricks till the tapping is to be performed.

In making antimony I charge the pots with crude antimony, or the ore free from stones, as is well understood in charging moveable crucibles, and when the charge is done the pots are to be tapped by a drill, as explained.

In my said former specification I described a means of making pots, and pointed out how the material, of which the pots were composed, was to be rammed, since which I have materially lessened the labour of ramming, by having a cylindrical rammer large enough to fit the interior space where the plastic materials are introduced between the staves or parts of the mould and the core, such cylinder being, however, capable of rising freely up and down within such space, and the lower edge of the cylindrical rammer is made rough, or is formed with projecting teeth to penetrate the clay. The rammer is made of metal, and is raised by means of a rope passing over a pulley, and the rope descends to a treadle, by which a workman may raise the rammer and let it descend quickly; by this arrangement the work will be more uniformly rammed, and be performed at less cost.

And now having described my said improvements, I would wish it to be understood that what I claim as my invention is,

Firstly, the improvement in the manufacture of zinc, by allowing the escape from an outlet, as above described,