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Secondly. The like arrangement of apparatus, for the purpose of raising or forcing water, air, or other fluids.Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, October, 1842.]

Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Son.

TO JOHN PLAYER, the Younger, of Loughor, near Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, engineer, for improvements in furnaces and fire-places, for consuming anthracite and other fuel, for generating steam, evaporation, smelting and heating iron, and other metals.— [Sealed 1st December, 1838.]

THE first part of this invention relates to a mode of constructing the furnaces of steam-boilers, or apparatus for evaporating fluids; so as to render them more suitable for burning anthracite coal, either separately or combined with other fuel.

The improvement consists in the application of a feedingchamber, which is filled with anthracite, and passes through the boiler into the furnace. The anthracite falls down. gradually into the fire, as the lower part of it becomes consumed, and being acted on, in its descent, by the heat of the steam and water in the boiler, is brought to a highly heated state before it reaches the bottom of the feedingchamber. The anthracite, thus heated, will burn to greater advantage, and will not be liable to decrepitation, as when thrown on a fire in the cold state.

The second improvement consists in a mode of constructing the fire-places of smiths' hearths; so that anthracite coal may be burned therein.

In Plate XIV., fig. 1, is a front view, and fig. 2, a longitudinal section of an improved smith's hearth. a, is a feeding-chamber, by which the fire is supplied with fuel; b, is a fire-brick, placed in front of the fire; and c, is another fire-brick, suspended over the same; the object of these bricks being to keep in the heat. The anthracite, descending from the chamber a, into the fire-place, becomes

highly heated before it falls down low enough to be influenced by the blast of air at d; it is thereby prevented from flying into small pieces, which would be the case if it were thrown on the fire in a cold state.

The third improvement consists in a mode of constructing cupola furnaces, for smelting iron ores, and re-melting iron, by the aid of anthracite coal.

The upper part of the improved smelting furnace is formed into a chamber, and in this particular, alone, it differs from the ordinary furnace. This chamber acts as a calciner, being surrounded by flues, leading to the chimney, which carry off the greater portion of the flame and blast from the body of the furnace. The charges of anthracite, iron ore, and flux, in their proper proportions, are put in at the top of the calcining chamber, and thus become gradually heated and calcined before reaching the body of the furnace.

In the re-melting cupola or furnace, the arrangement is the same, the metal being substituted for the ore in the smelting furnace.

The fourth improvement consists in the application of a feeding-chamber to refinery furnaces, for the purpose of refining iron, by the aid of anthracite coal.

Fig. 3, is a transverse section of a refinery furnace, with this improvement applied thereto. e, is the feeding-chamber, kept full of anthracite coal, which will become progressively heated before it reaches the hearth of the furnace; and ƒ, is a block of fire-brick, to keep in or reverberate the heat; it is suspended on axes g, and is raised or lowered by the pullies h, h, and chain i.

The patentee claims, Firstly.-The mode of constructing the furnaces or fire-places of steam-boilers, &c., with a suitable feeding-chamber, for burning anthracite and other fuel, as described.

Secondly. The mode of constructing smiths' hearths, for the burning of anthracite.

Thirdly. The mode of constructing cupola furnaces, for the smelting of iron ores, and for re-melting iron, by the aid of anthracite, as described.

Fourthly. The mode of constructing refinery furnaces, for the refining of iron, by the aid of anthracite, as described. [Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, June, 1839.]

TO WILLIAM HENRY FOX TALBOT, of Lacock Abbey, Wilts, Esq., for improvements in coating or covering metals with other metals, and in coloring metallic surfaces. [Sealed 9th December, 1841.]

THE first part of this invention relates to a method of coating or covering metals with gold, silver, or platinum. The improvement consists in the use of gallic acid, or of a liquid containing a fair proportion of it, or a similar vegetable substance, to facilitate the precipitation of those metals from their solutions.

To the solution of gold, silver, or platinum, is added a solution of gallic acid, in water, ether, or alcohol; then into this mixture a clean bright plate of metal is immersed, and allowed to remain until it is coated with the gold, silver, or platinum, contained in the solution.

The second improvement consists in silvering metallic surfaces, in the following manner:-The plate, or other article of metal, is first made clean and bright, and is then covered with a bright silver coating, by immersing it in a solution, formed by dissolving a quantity of freshly-precipitated chloride of silver in hyposulphite of soda, or any other liquid hyposulphite.

Thicker coatings of metal may be obtained by the aid of a galvanic battery, using it in combination with either of the solutions above mentioned, and employing, for one of the poles, a piece of metal of the same kind as that which is to be precipitated.

The metals which can be coated or covered, by means of these improvements, are brass, copper, silver, German silver, and also (though less effectually) iron and steel.

The third improvement consists in a method of ornamenting the surfaces of brass or copper; which is effected by gilding them partially, according to a pattern, and then washing them over with a solution of chloride of platinum.

The solution does not act upon those parts that are gilded, but enhances their brilliancy, by giving to the rest of the surface a dead black appearance.

The fourth improvement consists in a mode of coloring polished surfaces of copper. This is effected by exposing the metal to the vapour of sulphuretted hydrogen; or of any of the liquid hydro-sulphurets; or to the vapours of sulphur, iodine, bromine, or chlorine; or by dipping it into liquids containing them.

As, by this method, the copper may be rendered nearly white, the patentee employs it for metallic specula or mirrors, which are made in the following manner :-An electrotype cast, in copper, is taken from a polished plane or spherical metallic surface; this cast has nearly the same degree of polish as the original, and is then exposed to the action of vapour, as above described, until it is sufficiently whitened, which is effected without injuring the polish.

The patentee claims, Firstly.-The use of gallic acid, or liquids containing it, or an analogous vegetable substance, for facilitating the precipitation of metals upon other metallic surfaces, and coating them therewith.

Secondly. The use of hyposulphite of soda, or other liquid hyposulphites, for silvering metals; and the employment of a galvanic battery, for obtaining thicker deposits of gold, silver, or platinum; but he claims this only when used in conjunction with one of the liquids before mentioned. Thirdly. The coloring of copper surfaces, by exposing them to the chemical action of the above-mentioned substances.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, June, 1842.]

To RICHARD BEARD, of Earl-street, Blackfriars, Gent., for improvements in the means of obtaining likenesses and representations of nature, and of other objects,— being a communication.-[Sealed 10th March, 1842.]

THIS invention consists in various modes of coloring the pictures produced by the " Daguerreotype" process.

By the first method, the object is obtained by reducing the colors to an impalpable powder, and depositing them upon different parts of the picture, in succession; the extent of each color being determined by a pattern or screen, resembling a stencil plate.

The mode of operation is as follows:-The Daguerreotype picture is first placed in a rectangular frame, which is formed with a projecting edge, of about one-twentieth of an inch in thickness. Over this frame a piece of glass or mica is laid, and a tracing is made upon it, with coloring matter, of the shape of those parts of the picture that are to be colored. From this tracing a number of patterns or screens are formed, one for each color. Each screen consists of a light rectangular frame, covered with tracing paper, upon which all those parts that are required to be of one color are traced, and the space included between the traced lines. is cut out; so that when the screen is placed upon the picture, the tracing paper will cover its surface, except those parts which are required to be of a uniform tint.

The colors are prepared by grinding them to an inpalpable powder, with a weak solution of gum-arabic, isinglass, starch, or other similar material; they are then dried in a stove, (kept at a heat somewhat less that 212° Fahr.,) and, after being passed through a fine sieve, are ready for use.

In applying these colors, a number of boxes, of a size sufficient to admit the picture, are employed, and into each box, the number of which varies according to the tints required, a few grains (say about fifty) of color are deposited. The color is agitated with a large soft brush, until a dust is created in the box, and the picture, covered by one of the screens, being then introduced, the particles of color settle upon the screen, and upon those parts of the picture that are not covered by it. After this operation, the picture is withdrawn, the screen taken off, and the color removed from the shaded parts, by means of a small pair of bellows; the remainder of the color is then attached to the picture by breathing upon it, which partially dissolves the gum, and the process is completed.

The second improvement consists in mixing the colors

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