their original position, and carried back ready for operating on a fresh piece of ground, over which the machine will by this time have been moved. The patentee does not confine himself to the employment of cranks for effecting the movements of the grapes, as other means capable of producing a similar motion approximating closely to that of the spade in handdigging, may be adopted for the purpose; instead also of the above-mentioned arrangement of the grapes, they may be fixed to a revolving shaft, and the earth may be removed from them by causing them in their revolution to come in contact with suitable stops. It may be necessary in some cases, in order to facilitate the action of the grapes, to make a series of cuts in the land previous to the grapes coming into operation; and this may be effected by attaching to the front of the machine a series of circular cutters fixed on a revolving shaft, and brought into action as the machine is propelled forward. Claims.-1. The general arrangement of the grapes, forks, or spades, for digging and working land. 2. The system or mode of turning the grapes or digging apparatus by a screw and traversing slide. 3. The application and use of guides for giving direction to the grapes. 4. The system or mode of digging or working land by causing the grape or digging apparatus to turn, or partially revolve, when loaded with earth. MATTHEW HERRING, of Tonbridge-place, sugar-planter. For improvements in the manufacture of sugar and rum, part of which improvements are applicable to evaporation generally. Patent dated March 24, 1851. 1. The Evaporator.-This apparatus consists of a casing of any suitable shape, within which are placed a number of vertical metal plates, joined together so as to leave hollow spaces between them, in which spaces hot air, stean, hot water, or other heating medium circulates. The saccharine juice or fluid to be evaporated is supplied from above, and caused to trickle down the sides of the hot plates and pass into a receiver, from which it is returned, and repeatedly submitted to the evaporative action until concentrated, when (in the case of canejuice) it is conducted away for crystallization. In order to effect the purification of the juice simultaneously with its evaporation, the receiver may be provided with a filtering medium, through which the fluid may be caused to pass before being returned through the evaporating chamber. 2. The Cleanser.-The saccharine matter, after crystallization, requires to undergo the operation of cleansing, to fit it for subse quent processes. With this view, the crystals are placed in a vessel of any convenient size, provided with a perforated false bottom, and liquor is pumped on them through a pipe furnished with a rose or jet, so as to cause it to be well dispersed over the crystals, and thus effect their purification by attrition. The liquor employed, which may be either cane-juice diluted to about 32° Baumé, or rum, passes off through the false bottom, and is pumped up for further use. 3. The Continuous Still.-This apparatus is constructed on the same principle as the evaporator above described. The wash is caused to traverse heated surfaces, by which the greater portion of the spirit is volatilized; the aqueous particles and the nonvolatilized portion of spirit are subjected to a similar operation until all the spirit has been obtained. The vapours arising from this distillation are condensed in a worm, in the usual manner. The patentee has discovered that the quality of the rum thus produced, and that of rum generally, may be improved by subjection to the action of air, and with this view he causes a current of air to traverse and pass through the rum, and thus produces an improvement in its flavour. THE SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH BETWEEN DOVER AND CALAIS. The length of wire-cable provided considerably exceeded the distance in a straight line between Dover and Calais, but, in consequence of a strong gale of wind blowing down Channel while it was being laid down, it took so large a bend to leeward that, when the whole was reeled out, it was found to fall short of the French shore by more than a quarter of a mile. The completion of the line is therefore suspended until an additional piece can be spliced to the cable. WEEKLY LIST OF NEW ENGLISH PATENTS. William Hodge, of St. Austell, Cornwall, for improvements in the manufacture of glass, china, Octoporcelain, earthenware, and artificial stone. ber 2; six months. William Henry Ritchie, of Kennington, Surrey, gentleman, for improvements in ornamenting glass. (Being a communication.) October 2; six months. Thomas Cussons, of Bunhill-row, for improvements in ornamenting woven fabrics for bookbinding. October 2; six months. James Warren, of Montague-place, Mile-endroad, for improvements applicable to railways and railway carriages, and improvements in paving. October 2; six months. Leman Baker Pitcher, of Syracuse, New York, America, gentleman, for improvements in apparatus for regulating motive-power engines. October 2 six months. LIST OF SCOTCH PATENTS FROM 22ND OF AUGUST TO THE 22nd of sEPTEMBER, 1851. Dominique Julian, of Sorgues, France, for improvements in extracting the colouring properties of madder, and in rendering useful the water employed in such processes. August 25; six months. George Jordan Firmin, of Lambeth-street, Goodman's-fields, manufacturing chemist, for improvements in the manufacture of oxalate of potass. August 25; six months. Thomas Wilks Lord, of Leeds, York, flax and tow machine-maker, and George Wilson, director of the flax-works of John Fergus, Esq., M.P., Fife, North Britain, for a machine to open and clean tow and tow waste from flax and hemp, and other similar fibrous substances, and an improved mode of piecing straps and belts for driving machinery, and a machine for effecting the same. (Being a communication.) August 27; six months. Richard Fletcher, of Blackdowns Farm, Ebrington, Gloucester, farmer, for an improvement in obtaining motive power. August 29; four months. Henry Dircks, of Moorgate-street, London, engineer, for improvements in the manufacture of gas. in gas burners, and in apparatus for heating by gas September 1; six months. Richard Archibald Brooman, of the firm of J. C. Robertson and Co., of 166, Fleet-street, London, Patent Agents, for an improved method of manufacturing screws. (Being a communication.) September 8; six months. LIST OF IRISH PATENTS FROM 21st of August to THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1851. William Mather, and Colin Mather, of Salford, engineers, and Ferdinand Kaselowsky, of Berlin, Prussia, engineer, for improvements for washing, steaming, drying, and finishing cotton, linen, and woollen fabrics. September 5. David Farrar Bower, of Hunslet, Leeds, York, manufacturing chemist, for certain improvements in preparing, rating, otherwise called rotting, and fermenting flax, line, grasses, and other fibrous vegetable substances. September 8. William Johnson, of Millbank, Westminster, gentleman, for improvements in apparatus for weighing goods. September 9. WEEKLY LIST OF DESIGNS FOR ARTICLES OF UTILITY REGISTERED. 297 298 27 299 29 300 WEEKLY LIST OF PROVISIONAL REGISTRATIONS. A. A. De Reginald Manchester - buildings, West- Richard Clayton Pedestrian vade mecum. Sylphide waterproof gaiter. Ventilating wind-guard. W. E. Kirkman ......... Knightsbridge ............................................................ Portfolio bracket. Window flower-pot protector. Thumb-screw lever-truss. 301 Joseph William Lea ... Birmingham ............................................................ Knife-cleaner. 302 Erratum. In Abstract of Mr. Ross's Specification, No. 1468, p. 256, top of second column, for "a compound toand-fro and up and-down movement of the lashing fan," &c., read "the compound to-and-fro and up-anddown movement, the lashing fan," &c. LONDON: Edited, Printed, and Published by Joseph Clinton Robertson, of No. 166, Fleet-street, in the City of London- Sold by A. and W. Galignani, Rue Vivienne, Paris; Machin and Co., Dublin; W. C. Campbell and Co., Hamburg. MUSEUM, REGISTER, JOURNAL, AND GAZETTE. No. 1470.] SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1851. [Price 3d., Stamped, 4d. WIMSHURST'S PATENT SCREW.PROPELLING MACHINERY. WIMSHURST'S PATENT SCREW-PROPELLing machineRY. (Patent dated November 12, 1850. Specification enrolled May 12, 1851.) MR. WIMSHURST, the shipbuilder, who was the first person to apply the screw to sailing vessels as an auxiliary propelling power, namely, in the Novelty, built about ten years ago, and who has ever since continued to exert himself with a most praiseworthy perseverance to bring into general mercantile use this combination of the powers of wind and steam, has now patented a number of improvements in relation thereto, which may be considered as exhibiting the matured results of his long practical experience in this branch of naval combination, and of the great ingenuity and skill he has brought to bear upon it. The first object with Mr. Wimshurst has been to improve the method of applying steam power to the working of the screw. He would still, as in the Novelty, apply the power directly to the screw-shaft, without the intervention of gearing or any other kind of multiplying power; but he would prefer, it seems, before every other description of engine, one on the rotary principle, constructed in the manner represented in figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the accompanying engravings. Fig 1 is an end elevation of Mr. Wimshurst's proposed engine; fig. 2, a transverse section; fig. 3, a longitudinal section; and figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, separate views of different parts detached from the others. Specification. In its general structure this engine so far resembles others of its class, that the power is obtained by means of a drum revolving eccentrically within an external cylinder, and the pressure of steam against a series of pistons successively protruded from the circumference of the drum as it revolves; but it differs from others in the following among other important particulars : First. The external cylinder is bored, not of a perfectly circular form as usual, but of unequal diameters at certain points, by which a nearer correspondence to the eccentric path described by the pistons carried by the inner drum is obtained. Second. The pistons have their chief bearing points on anti-friction rollers (within the recesses of the drum) whereby the frictional resistance to their movements is reduced to a minimum, or as nearly so as may be. And third, the steam is admitted (during the forward and ordinary course of the engine) from below into the external cylinder, and by its upward pressure on the pistons serves in a great measure to relieve the bearings and external cylinder from the weight and friction of the moving parts of the engine. In the figures, A represents the bed or foundation plate of the engine. B the external cylinder which has the peculiar form above-mentioned given to it by boring it from three centres in manner following :-Assuming the diameter of the cylinder to be 60 inches, it is in the first instance bored out of a true circle from a as the centre in the diagram, fig. 1"; the centre or axial line of the boring tool is then shifted in a vertical line from a towards b, about one-eighth of an inch, or about a fifty-third part of the cylinder's diameter; which being done, it is again shifted in a horizontal direction towards d, about three-eighths of an inch, or about 160th part of the diameter, which will bring the axial line of the cutter bar to the point f. The tool is then placed at such a distance from the last centre that it shall just touch the circumferential point g, about 2 inches above d, and while it is in this position, a cut is made through the cylinder from end to end, whereby a lune-shaped piece is cut away as indicated by the dotted lines. To make the lower side of the cylinder of a corresponding shape, a similar series of operations is gone through; that is to say, the cutter bar is first shifted from the centre a towards c, one-eighth of an inch, and next horizontally towards d, about three-eighths of an inch, when a third cut is made through the cylinder from end to end as before (beginning at the point h, about two inches from the under side of d). The slight ridges left by boring from different centres are to be then worked off, and the internal surface of the cylinder to be rendered quite smooth. The result of the peculiar form thus given to the interior of the external cylinder is that, although the inner drum is revolving eccentrically to the outer cylinder, yet the pistons, which are of one continuous length, passing through the inner drum, are kept nearly in constant contact with the inner surface of the external cylinder, and with as little movement of the necessary packings as may be. C is the inner drum, which may be cast wholly solid or partially hollow (as shown in fig. 4), and is divided by six slots or recesses, for as many pistons to work in, into six segments, c1, c1, c1, c1, c1, c1. CC are bosses which are affixed to the ends of the drum (revolving with it) for the double purpose of strengthening the drum and affording a ready means of packing it at the ends. DD are two shafts that are keyed on one line with the two bosses, and carried by suitable standards FF, or they may be supported by bearings affixed to the ends EE of the outer cylinder; these two shafts form the main shaft of the engine, which may be coupled to any other machinery. The details of the mode of packing the drum at the end are shown in fig. 3, and in figs. 7 and 8. A metallic hoop H (figs. 7 and 8) is slipped loosely over each of the bosses CC; connected with the hoop there is a metallic ring y2; y3y3 are segmental pieces of metal, between which and the ring y2 and the bosses there are inserted packings (of cork or any suitable yielding material). y4y+ are pinching screws, by which the pressure given to the cork or other yielding packing is regulated; for regulating the pressure of the ring y2 against the cylinder cover, there are pinching screws passed through the hoop H. The segments, packing rings, and hoops are secured to the boss by screw bolts y1y', so that they all revolve along with the inner drum. When the drum revolves, the inner edge of the metallic ring packings runs against the inner edge of the cylinder cover (rendering that part steam tight), but to prevent them or the bearings from being injured by the heat, the whole are inclosed in cases SS, which may be filled with water or other liquid, and made also steam-tight round the shafts DD by means of packings, such as represented in the plan fig. 4. TT are the packings, which are formed of cork or some other like yielding material. TT are gaskins, and T2T2 metallic blocks by which the packings are pressed against the shaft by means of the pinching screws TT3. UU are the pistons, which are of a rectangular form, and connected together in pairs by means of bars V V, which are passed through the pistons, and secured at the ends by cotters; for which screws or nuts might be substituted. Each pair of pistons works to and fro through the drum in the recesses made for them, and they bear at the sides against antifriction rollers XX, placed at different distances, but near to the extremities of these recesses (when the pistons are fully protruded from the drum.) To keep these anti-friction rollers true in every change of position, they have at their ends small pinion guides mm (see fig. 5), which gear into fixed racks nn within the recesses in the body of the drum. The pistons are rendered steam-tight by means of packings, which are inserted at y5y5 in pistons, running parallel to the recesses, and pressed by springs against the sides of the grooves by which means the steam is prevented from passing through into the eduction |