CRABB BLAIR WARREN, of Little Horksley, Essex, Clerk, for Certain improvements in the manufacture of bricks, tiles, pipes, and other articles composed of plastic materials, and in the preparation of plastic materials to be used for such purposes.-Sealed July 6, 1846.—(Six months.) JOHN PALMER DE LA FONS, of Carlton-hill, Saint John'swood, Esq., for Improvements in the manufacture of locks and other fastenings.-Sealed July 6, 1846.—(Six months.)

WILLIAM M'GARY, of Hoxton, for Improvements in lamps, lamp glasses, candles, and shades.-Sealed July 6, 1846.-(Six months.)

THOMAS WOOLLEY, of Nottingham, Piano-forte Manufacturer, for Improvements in piano-fortes.-Sealed July 8, 1846.-(Six months.)

ROBERT BEART, of Godmanchester, in the county of Huntingdon, Farmer, for Improvements in tilling land.Sealed June 10, 1846.-(Six months.)

WILLIAM MIDDLEMORE, of Birmingham, Manufacturer, for A certain improvement or certain improvements in saddles. Sealed July 13, 1846.—(Six months.)

LAWRENCE HILL, Jun., of Glasgow, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, for Improvements in the manufacture of iron for building ships and boats, and other vessels, and in the construction of ships and boats and other vessels, and in instruments, machinery, and apparatus, to be used in the said construction.-Sealed July 14, 1846.-(Six months.) -(Partly communication and partly invention.)

CHARLES FREDERICK BIELEFELD, of Wellington-street, Strand, Papier Maché Manufacturer, for Improvements in the making of moulds or dies used in the manufacture of papier maché, and other matters, and in moulding or forming articles from certain plastic materials.-Sealed July 14, 1846.-(Six months.)

WILLIAM WATSON PATTINSON, of Felling, near Gateshead, Durham, Manufacturing Chemist, for Improvements in the manufacture of chlorine.-Sealed July 14, 1846. -(Six months.)

ODERT GRIPENBERG, of Finland, in the Kingdom of Russia, Gentleman, for Improvements in machinery for sowing grain and other seed.-Sealed July 14, 1846.— (Six months.)

GEORGE KNIGHT, of Southampton, Wine Merchant, for Certain improvements in excavating and dredging, also

in the formation of permanent and temporary harbours, canals, bridges, docks, and other similar works, and the apparatus to be employed therein.-Sealed July 14, 1846. -(Six months.)

WILLIAM SEED, of Preston, Lancaster, Machine Maker, for Certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for preparing and slubbing.-Sealed July 14, 1846.(Six months.)

GUSTAF VICTOR GUSTAFSSON, late of Sweden, but now of Warren-street, Fitzroy-square, Middlesex, Engineer, for Certain improvements in steam-engines.-Sealed July 14, 1846.-(Six months.)

SIR SAMUEL BROWN, Knight, of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and Captain in Her Majesty's Navy, of Blackheath, for Improvements in railways and carriages to run on railways, and in the constructing and arming ships or vessels.-Sealed July 14, 1846.-(Six months.)

DAVID YOOLOW STEWART, of Montrose, in the Kingdom of Scotland, for Improvements in moulding iron and brass.-Sealed July 14, 1846.-(Six months.)

THOMAS BONSER, of Merton, Surrey, Farmer, and EDWIN WATKINS WILLIAMS WYNN PETTITT, of Yorkroad, Lambeth, Civil Engineer, for Certain improvements in machinery for tilling land.-Sealed July 15, 1846.— (Six months.)

THOMAS SYMES PRIDEAUX, of Southampton, Gentleman, for Improvements in machinery for excavating.— Sealed July 15, 1846.-(Six months.)

WILLIAM THOMAS, of Cheapside, Merchant, for Certain improvements in frames, locks, and fastenings, for carpet bags, and purses, parts of said improvements being applicable to all other locks.-Sealed July 15, 1846.—(Two months.)-(Communication.)

WILLIAM THURMAN, of Nottingham, Hosier, for Certain improvements in the manufacture of gloves, stockings, and other hosiery goods.-Sealed July 18, 1846.(Six months.)

James Napier, of Shacklewell, in the County of Middlesex, Operative Chemist, for Improvements in smelting copper ores.-Sealed July 20, 1846.-(Six months.)

JAMES HENRY DICKSON, Esq., Captain, on Half-pay, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, for Certain improvements in saddles.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

JOHN TULLOH OSBORN, of Demerara, now residing in London, Esq., for Certain improvements in power machines, or machinery for tilling, draining, and otherwise cultivating land, and in the mode or modes of working the same. -Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

CHARLES WILLIAM FIRCHILD, of Leamington, Gentleman, for A new engine for obtaining rotary motion.Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

FRANCOIS HENRI BICKES, of Mayence, on the Rhine, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Gentleman, for Improvements in distillation.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

EDWARD HAMMOND BENTALL, of Heybridge, Essex, Iron Founder, for Improvements in implements for ploughing land, and clearing land of weeds.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

PETER CLAUSSEN, of Leicester-square, Gentleman, for Improvements in methods of or apparatus for propelling, and exhausting, and compressing air, and aeriform bodies. -Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

THOMAS BELL, of Don Alkali Works, South Shields, for Improvements in smelting copper ore.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

GEORGE HENRY FOURDRINIER, of Hanley, in the County of Stafford, Paper Maker, for Improvements in preparing the materials used in manufacturing earthenware, and china, and in printing the designs for ornamenting the same.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.) JOHN BOYES, of Mincing Lane, City, Gentleman, for Improvements in machines for thrashing and winnowing grain and seeds.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)

HAROLD CREASE, of Brixton Hill, Surrey, Paper Stainer, for Certain improvements in the preparation of paints and colours for decorative, and other similar purposes.-Sealed July 23, 1846.—(Six months.)

ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of Chancery Lane, Mechanical Draughtsman, for Certain improvements in the manufacture of sugar.-Sealed July 23, 1846.-(Six months.)-(Communication.)

AUGUSTUS WILLIAM HILLARY, of 66, Cadogan Place, Chelsea, at present residing at No. 146, Avenue des Champs Elysees, in the City of Paris, Esq., for Improvements in the manufacture of gas.-Sealed July 23, 1846. -(Six months.)

THE

REPERTORY

OF

PATENT INVENTIONS.

No. 3. VOL. VIII. ENLARGED SERIES.-SEPTEMBER, 1846.

Specification of the Patent granted to J. BENJAMIN NICKELS, of York-street, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for Improvements in Piano-fortes.-Sealed October 27, 1845.

WITH AN ENGRAVING.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c., &c.My invention consists

First, of improvements in piano-fortes, whereby two sounding-boards are combined with two sets of strings and two actions, put in motion by one or two sets of keys.

Secondly, my invention consists in applying to pianofortes additional strings, combined with an action, arranged to be played by the feet, so as to obtain deeper bass notes.

Thirdly, my invention consists of applying helical springs, and springs of india-rubber, to bring back the hammers of piano-fortes.

Fourthly, my invention consists of apparatus for tuning the strings of piano-fortes.

Fifthly, my invention consists of covering the wirestrings of piano-fortes with india-rubber, gutta-percha, and catgut, and also of combining several strings by binding them into one string; and,

No. 3.-VOL. VIII.

K

Sixthly, my invention consists in a mode of constructing the hammers of piano-fortes.

And, in order that the invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.

Description of the Drawings.

C,

Fig. 1, shows a section of a piano-forte constructed according to the first part of my invention, the parts shown full size; this arrangement being, in fact, the combination of a vertical and horizontal piano-forte in one case each set of strings having its own sounding-board; and the action and keys are so arranged that both instruments may be played at the same time by one set of keys, or only one instrument may be played, the other being, for the time being, put out of action. a, b, are the two sounding-boards, the sounding-board, a, being that for the horizontal portion of the instrument, and the soundingboard, b, is for the upright portion of the instrument. and d, are the two sets of keys, the key, c, being for the action of the horizontal portion of the instrument, and the key, d, is for the upright portion of the instrument; but the two sets of keys are in connexion with each other, so that playing on the upper one will put in motion both the upper and lower keys at the same time-e, being a connecting rod between the upper and lower key of each note; so that, by pressing on the upper key, it will not only be depressed itself and give motion to the action thereof, but it will also depress the lower key, and give motion to the action thereof, and the two hammers will strike their respective strings; and the notes thus produced by means of the two parts of the instrument may be in the same key, or they may be in different keys. When desired to play with the action of the upright part of the instru ment only, the player will only make use of the keys, d, and the upper set of keys will not be acted upon; and when desired to make use only of the horizontal part of the instrument, the action of the upright part of the instrument may be disconnected by means of a pedal lifting rod, f, by which the action and the ends, d', of the lower set of keys, d, will be raised; so that the keys, d, will be out of the way of the keys, c, as will readily be traced in the drawing. g, is the action of the horizontal portion of