to the fire, are to be used with closed ash-pits or drawers." The useful purposes to which these improvements are applicable, are to cause a great saving in all sorts of fuel, more especially that description of fuel, where the gaseous products consist chiefly of carbon, such as are anthracite or coke; and for the purpose of causing the fire to burn more regularly, and for the more effectually supporting combustion, without the combustion being too rapid, with a view to economise fuel, as before mentioned, and render the air more effectual, by which the combustion is supported."-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, April, 1839.] TO JOHN WILLIAM NYREN, of Bromley, manufacturing chemist, for improvements in the manufacture of oxalic acid.-[Sealed 26th June, 1840.] THIS invention consists in manufacturing oxalic acid from the following substances: First,-a product obtained from potatoes: Second,-a product obtained from horse-chestnuts; and the invention relates, Thirdly,-to a mode of manufacturing oxalic acid, by means of leaden vessels. In employing potatoes, the roots are first well cleansed, and then reduced, by grinding, rasping, or otherwise, to a fine pulp, which is washed by placing it in water and stirring it therein;—the pulp is then permitted to subside, and the water drawn off. The pulp thus obtained, is placed in an open leaden vessel, and submitted to the action of acid or diastase; then, as much water is to be added as will allow the contents of the vessel to boil freely, heat being applied by leaden steam pipes or other convenient means. Sulphuric acid is to be added to the mixture in the proportion of two per cent. by weight of acid, to the quantity of pota toes employed; and the whole is boiled some hours, till the farina contained in the potatoes is converted into the state desired. The liquor thus obtained, is then filtered through a horse-hair cloth, and the clear liquor carefully evaporated in any convenient vessel, until it is about fourteen and a half pounds to the imperial gallon ;—in this state, it is in a condition to be converted into oxalic acid, by applying acid in the same manner as is now practised when employing sugar. The subsequent operations or processes for completing the manufacture, are similar to those now in use. As regards the second part of the invention, the only difference in the treatment of the horse-chestnuts is, that they do not require washing, but the outer skins must be removed; in other respects, the above description is perfectly sufficiently. The third part of the invention consists in the application of leaden vessels, or vessels lined with lead, instead of the earthenware jars or vessels now used, and which must necessarily be of limited dimensions, and consequently a very large number would be required when manufacturing on a large scale; it is therefore important to obtain larger vessels; and the patentee says he has found, that vessels lined with lead, of any suitable dimensions, may be employed when using nitric or nitrous acid; and in order to heat the liquor contained therein, a coil of leaden pipe is placed in the vessel, and steam or hot water made to circulate through it. In conclusion, the patentee says:-"I lay no claim to treating the farina of horse-chestnuts or potatoes with sulphuric acid or diastase, except when applied to the manufacture of oxalic acid; but I claim, first, the mode of manufacturing oxalic acid by the application of a product obtained from the farina of potatoes and sulphuric acid or diastase, as above described; secondly, the mode of manufacturing oxalic acid by the application of a product ob tained from horse-chestnuts and sulphuric acid or diastase, as above described; and thirdly, the mode of manufacturing oxalic acid by means of converting proper liquors, prepared with nitric or nitrous acid, in leaden vessels, as above described."-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, December, 1840.] TO THOMAS TASSELL GRANT, Esq., an Officer in Her Majesty's Victualling Yard, at Gosport, for his invention of improvements in the manufacture of fuel.[Sealed 13th July, 1840.] WE are at loss to know in what the novelty of this invention consists, as the materials mentioned as intended to be employed for the manufacture of fuel, have been used many years for a like purpose, many slightly varied combinations having been patented by different individuals; but, in order that there may be no mistake, and being fearful least we should not have discovered the real essence of the invention, we give the patentee's own words, which are as follow: "The fuel is composed of coal-dust, and a preparation of coal-tar or other bituminous material. The coal-tar or other bituminous material is converted, by the influence of heat, into a substance resembling pitch; and two gallons, or twenty pounds weight of this pitch, or other bituminous material, reduced to a liquid under the influence of heat, are combined with one hundred weight of coal-dust, and the composition moulded into the form of bricks."— [Inrolled in the Petty Bag Office, January, 1841.] List of Patents Granted by the French Government from the 1st of July to the 30th of September, 1840. (Continued from page 306, Vol. XIX.) PATENTS FOR TEN YEARS. Poole, of London, for an apparatus to be used in the photogenic system, as a substitute for the camera obscura. Poole, of London, for an improved method of working zinc. Postel, Junr., of Villers-Bretonneaux, for a new turbine wheel. Pouillet, of Paris, for wooden wedges for rail-roads. Pourchet, of Paris, for impressions of engravings. Quenin, of Rouen, for a new loom. Querini, of Paris, for improvements in the manufacturing of felt. Renaudot, of Paris, for new Persian shutters and frames of glass windows in zinc. Renaudot and Dejardin, of Paris, for water pipes in zinc. Renour, of Crossays, for improvements in the making of cordage. Richardson, of London, for improvements in omnibus carriages. Robert de Massy, of St. Quentin, for a new method of using the residue in the distillation of wine. Rodier, of Autun, for a press for grinding earth. Roussin, of Paris, for a wheel intended for raising stones out of quarries. De Salles-Rougé, of Paris, for a new kind of brandy. Sanguinide and Capt, of Geneva, for new piano cords. Sarrey, of Maçon, for an improved machine for thrashing wheat. Stinzel, of Gray, for an improved rotary steam-engine. Tresca and Eboli, for improvements in the manufacture of stearic candles. Vardy, of Wolverhampton, for improvements in the machinery for drawing iron. Vardy, of London, for improvements in the manufacturing of nails, &c. Vauquelin, of Paris, for a mechanical process for currying leather. De Villeneuve, of Paris, for exotic fibrous substances, to be used instead of wool. Whitaker, of Mézières, for improvements in the manufacturing of cards. White, of Paris, for hats, which prevent the wearer from being drowned. PATENTS FOR FIVE YEARS. Augros, of Villeneuve, St. George's, represented in Paris by M. Perpigna, advocate of the French and Foreign Patent Office, Rue Choiseul, 2 ter, for a new wind-mill. Austin, represented in Paris by M. Perpigna, advocate, for improved warp machines. Dufaure de Montmirail and De Beaurepaire, represented in Paris M. Perpigna, advocate, for buckles without tongues. Fabre, represented in Paris by M. Perpigna, advocate, for an improved filter. Scientific Notices. REPORT OF TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION (Continued from page 303, Vol. XIX.) The PRESIDENT in the Chair. "Experiments for determining the position of the neutral axis of rectangular beams of cast and wrought iron and wood, and |