flanged wheels m, constitute the carriage of the machinery. a, are the monkeys, and b, the weights, for driving the piles, which are similar to those in ordinary use; d, are the chains or ropes, by which the monkeys are worked,—they pass round barrels or windlasses e, to which motion is communicated in the following manner :-h, is an axis, turning in suitable bearings, and on this axis h, are affixed two wheels g, which, by means of their peripheries, drive the pullies i, formed or affixed on the barrels e, when the surfaces or peripheries of the pullies i, are held tightly in contact with the wheels g.

It should be understood that the axles or necks of the barrels e, can be moved a short distance in their bearings, so that the pulley i, may be brought into surface contact with the wheels g, and when in contact, they will, by their revolution, raise the weights, and when out of contact, the monkeys will be at liberty to descend again, and take hold of the weights. f, are sliding bars, each having a forked end, in which the axis or neck of one of the barrels is received, and the workman, attending to each barrel, may readily draw the pulley i, and hold it in contact with the wheel g, until the weight has been raised and let go; the workman will then force the surface of the pulley away from its wheel, when the monkey will follow its weight, as will be readily understood on examining the drawings. On the axis h, is affixed the drum or pulley n, by means of which, motion is communicated to the axis from a steam-engine, affixed on the carriage of the piledriving machinery; the steam-engine is not however shewn, as it forms no part of the invention, for the axis h, may be turned by any other suitable power. On the axis h, is affixed a bevilled toothed-wheel o, which takes into and drives the bevilled toothed-wheel o1, which is affixed on the axis q, having its upper bearing in the lever r, by which the axis can be moved, and, by such means, bring the wheels o, o1, into and out of gear. At the lower end of the axis q, is affixed a drum or pulley u, which, by means of an endless band or strap v, gives motion to the pulley p, on the axis of the circular saw s, the axis of which saw is

capable of being raised or lowered, more or less, by a screw w, and thus adjusted, according as the cut is to be, higher or lower, or similar to the preceding cut. The saw is carried by the bar v', which moves freely on the axis q, and thus allows the saw to be first placed and held in a position to cut off the top of a pile on one side of the machinery, and then on the other side; this is accomplished by the workman having a hooked staff, by which he draws the bar v, first towards one pile, and then to the other. e1, el, are catches, which are to be placed in their respective ratchet wheels, (affixed on the axes of the barrels,) when it is desired to hold up the monkeys and weights for any length of time; but the catches are thrown back when the machinery is at work. i, j, are a series of piles which have been driven, and j', is a pile, in the act of being driven; y, is a crosstie, the ends of which have spikes ≈, on their under sides, which are pressed into the piles, and the short rails x, are placed between projections t, on the upper surfaces of the ties y, there being one such tie to every two piles; and by this means it will be seen, that the rails can be quickly applied to the piles, and readily removed, as the carriage proceeds.

It will be readily understood, that in using the piledriving machinery, constructed according to the invention, • a suitable platform or surface must be arranged, at the commencement of the work, to support the carriage of the pile-driving engines till enough piles have been driven; after which, the piles themselves will be the means of supporting the carriage of the pile-driving machinery, and, by means of forming temporary rails or ways on such piles, the carriage will readily be moved by the work-people, as the work of pile-driving proceeds, and the upper ends cut off; or in place of having wheels applied to the pile-driving machinery, the same may be caused to progress as a sledge, on suitable surfaces or rollers, applied to the piles.

The patentee claims, firstly, the mode herein described, of constructing pile-driving machinery, and in such a manner that the same may be caused to travel along a railway or other suitable surface, progressively formed or applied

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on the piles, as the work of pile-driving proceeds, and the ends of the piles are cut off by the machinery; and—

Secondly, the application of a steam-engine to piledriving machinery, in order, by such power, to raise the monkey or weight.—[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, March, 1842.]

TO JAMES SHANKS, of St. Helens, Lancashire, chemist, for improvements in the manufacture of carbonate of soda.[Sealed 27th May, 1841.]

THESE improvements consist in two methods of operating on the black ash or carbonate of soda of commerce, for the purpose of converting the caustic soda and silicate of soda, therein contained, into carbonate of soda; and likewise, when crystals are to be made, increasing the quantity produced from the soda liquor.

The first method consists in breaking the masses of black ash into pieces, about an inch square, and placing them in layers, three or four inches deep, in a stone or iron vessel, called a carbonator, furnished with a pipe at each end, for the entrance and exit of the gases, hereafter mentioned. The layers are moistened with water, and then a stream of carbonic acid gas is passed through the carbonator, until the whole of the soda is carbonated; which may be known by the escape of sulphuretted hydrogen. The black ash is then removed to the vats, and treated in the ordinary way.

In the second method, the black ash is made into a lye, and then subjected to the action of carbonic acid gas. The carbonator, used in this process, is ten feet high, and of such an extent as to afford sixteen cubic feet of space for every ton of soda ash, and six cubic feet for every ton of crystals to be made per diem. Across the bottom of the carbonator an arch of open brick-work is thrown, and the space above it is filled with small pebbles, about the size of a cubic inch. The carbonic acid gas is introduced below the arch, and, ascending among the pebbles, meets the soda liquor, which is pumped in at the top of the carbo

nator from the vats that contain it. When this liquor is perfectly carbonated, it will lose its greenish yellow color, and assume a transparent appearance.

The patentee varies this process, by taking the last or weakest soda liquor from the vats, and surcharging it with carbonic acid gas, by passing it through the carbonator; it is then used for lixiviating the fresh charges of black ash in the vats.

The patentee claims, as his invention, the methods, above described, of operating upon black ash, as commonly prepared by manufacturers, or the solutions made therefrom, and converting the caustic soda and the silicate of soda, therein contained, into carbonate of soda.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, November, 1841.]

To HENRY WATERTON, of Fulmer-place, Gerard's Cross, Buckinghamshire, Esq., for improvements in the manufacture of sal-ammoniac.-[Sealed 27th August, 1840.]

THESE improvements consist in decomposing common salt, by means of carbonate of ammonia, and thereby producing sal-ammoniac.

Two modes of effecting this are described; the first consists in making a saturated solution of common salt, in water, and mixing with it a quantity of finely pulverized carbonate of ammonia, about equal in weight to the salt contained in the solution. The mixture is agitated in a close vessel for six or eight hours, and as much carbonic acid gas is infused therein as it will absorb; (but the introduction of the gas is not absolutely necessary, although the patentee prefers it,) the liquid is then separated from the solid matter, by filtration and pressure. The solid matter is chiefly bi-carbonate of soda, and the liquid holds in solution muriate and carbonate of ammonia, and common salt, and sometimes a small portion of the bi-carbonate of soda.

The liquid is now placed in a distilling vessel, and the carbonate of ammonia being distilled over into a suitable receiver, a solution of muriate of ammonia and common salt remains in the still. This solution is evaporated, by heat, to

such a consistency as will cause the separation of the common salt, by crystallization, and the salt, thus crystallized, is evaporated from the liquid by any convenient method. The liquid is then evaporated until it attains the proper specific gravity for crystallizing, and it is transferred into suitable utensils for that purpose. The crystals, produced by these means, are nearly pure muriate of ammonia, and, when pressed and dried, may be brought to market without further preparation, or they may be sublimed into sal

ammoniac.

The other mode of manufacturing sal-ammoniac, consists in taking a quantity of liquid, containing ammonia, either in the caustic state or combined with carbonic, hydrosulphuric, or hydrocyanic acid, (such as gas ammoniacal liquor, or bone ammoniacal liquor,) and rectifying it, by distillation, until the distilled portion contains from twenty to twenty-five per cent. of carbonate of ammonia. If the liquid contains any other acids than those above mentioned, a sufficient quantity of lime is used in the distillation to decompose the ammoniacal salt.

The distilled liquid being now mixed with as large a quantity of powdered common salt as it will dissolve, is agitated for several hours, and as much carbonic acid gas is infused into it as it will absorb. The remainder of the operation is the same as before described in the first method of manufacturing sal-ammoniac.

The patentee claims the use of carbonate of ammonia, in the manufacture of sal-ammoniac, by applying it to decompose common salt, as herein before described.[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, January, 1841.]

To HENRY HOUGH WATSON, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the county of Lancaster, consulting chemist, for his invention of certain improvements in bleaching, changing the color of, and otherwise preparing, purifying, and refining tallow, and certain other organic substances, mixtures, compounds, and manufactures.-[Sealed 21st June, 1842.]

THIS invention consists in bleaching and otherwise pre