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grain, &c., from the thrashing cylinder, with the one that conducts the grain to the fan.

IMPROVEMENT IN MILL SPINDLES AND VERTICAL SHAFTS. Jacob Staub. — The patentee says:-" The object which I design to obtain by my improvement is, to have less friction, and to.give better opportunity to repair the end of the spindle.'

At the bottom of the step, or ink, there is a movable plug, which runs up into a hole made in the bottom of the spindle or shaft, the upper part of the said hole being occupied by another movable plug, which has a small hole through its whole length, to receive and conduct oil from the box in which the whole works-the oil escaping through a lateral hole in the lower end of the shaft or spindle. As the whole weight of the shaft rests on these two removable plugs, the wear will be confined to them; and when worn, they may be removed, and replaced by others, simply by taking out the spindle.

HOT AIR FURNACES AND FIRE-GRATES. William H. Whiteley.-The claim in this instance refers throughout to the drawings, and is therefore omitted. It is confined to two improvements, the first of which, consists in an arrangement of flues for heating the air that is to be conveyed to the apartments to be heated; and the second, to an arrangement of the grate, in combination with a catch, which answers the double purpose of holding the grate in its place, and of scraping off the cinders in cleaning out the fire chamber.

The fire chamber is surrounded by two concentric cylinders, except where the door is placed for the admission of coals, &c., with a space between each, the inner cylinder being pierced with holes. The fire chamber is covered by a plate, in which are inserted tubes for the passage of the draught, and of the air to be heated. The cold air is admitted into the outer space around the fire chamber, from which it passes, through the holes in the inner concentric cylinder, to the chamber surrounding the fire cylinder, thence into some of the flues above the fire chamber, which are surrounded by the draught flues, that carry off the gaseous products of combustion into the chimneys; and the heated air is conducted by pipes, governed by dampers, into the apartments to be warmed.

The grate is made with side-pieces, or cheeks, of a wedge-like form, that slide on inclined bed pieces, and the catch, which holds the grate in its place, is hinged to the furnace, directly in front of the grate, and catches in a mortise made for that purpose. When the grate is drawn out, the catch drags over the top of the bars, and clears off the cinders.

ARGAND LAMP, FOR BURNING SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE, &c. John S. Tough.— "The reservoir and burner are made in the usual manner of Argand's lamp, except the outer cylinder of the latter, which is made about an inch higher than the inner cylinder, and slightly flaring outward. The principal improvements are in the construction and arrangement of a sliding cylinder, which fits the inner cylinder of the Argand burner, having its upper end enlarged, so as to fit the space between the inner and outer cylin ders of the burner being flared outward, so as to press the wick against the inside of the outer cylinder, which is also made slightly flaring outward, as before noticed, provided with a funnel-shaped button, or inverted conical regulator, which slides up and down, for concentrating the air around the flame, and increasing its intensity, and a glass globe, with a circular rim inside the same, made in the form of a hollow frustrum of a cone rising inward from the lower rim of the globe, for contracting the space and impinging the column of air around the flame; the slope of said flanch extending downward from the flame, outside the wick, whilst the slope of the button extends also down from the flame, but inside the circle of the wick.

"What I claim as my invention is, the combination of the conical rim, at the bottom of the globe, with the inverted cone regulator, or button, and adjustible cylinder, adapted to, and combined with, the wick case, as set forth."

MACHINE FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING BRICKS. Waldren Beach and Ephraim Lukens. In this machine the moulds are arranged in a horizontal wheel, and pass under a hopper, from which they receive the tempered clay; they then pass under a pressing roller, which is in connexion with the hopper, its sides embracing that portion of the roller which presses the clay. As the moulds advance, they pass under a knife, which is hung to an arbor and is pressed upon by a spring, which knife cuts off the surplus clay, whilst it yields in the event of meeting with a stone. A projection from the under surface of the pistons that form the bottom of the moulds is acted upon by an inclined plane, that forces the bricks out of the moulds, and then, as the wheel continues to rotate, the bricks are, by means of a guide, delivered on to a belt, by which they are carried off to any desired place of delivery. After the moulds have been emptied, they pass under a rotary sieve to be sanded, and thence to the hopper. The filling of the mould is effected by two pallets, called by the patentee cams," each of which is hung to a shaft that passes across the lower part of the hopper, and through

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its side, and is there connected with a weighted lever, which lever projects from the shaft in the same direction with the pallet. The axes of these pallets being above the surface of the mould-wheel, the weighted levers will cause their extreme ends to bear on the surface of the wheel, and as the moulds pass under, the clay is forced into them by the inclined surface of the pallets. The axles of the pallets are provided on one side with a knife, to cut off the clay to the proper width.

MAINTAINING POWER TO DRIVE MACHINERY. Stephen P..W. Douglass.-The object of this machine is to receive and regulate any irregular or intermitting power, obtained from any source, and to give it out regularly, as may be required. Two endless chains, placed side by side, are each passed around two wheels, placed one above the other. A pinion, attached to a suitable sliding frame, is situated between the two chains, with its teeth taking into their links; and to this sliding frame is suspended a heavy weight. The irregular or intermitting force is applied to the shaft of one of the wheels, acting on either of the chains, which, by its operation on the pinion, winds up the weight, provided the other chain be held permanent; but as this weight tends to turn this chain, one of its wheels is connected with, and actuates, any machine requiring to be moved with regularity. If the power applied be equal to that given out, the pinion, with its weight, will remain in the same position, and will simply transmit the power which it receives; but if the former exceeds the latter, the pinion and weight will be raised, and when the former becomes less, then they will sink. In this way it will be seen that the winding up of the weight does not prevent it from giving out its full force, as it is always suspended to the chain which gives out the power.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE WINDMILL. William Zimmerman.-This patent was obtained for a mode of regulating the inclination of the sails, as the wind increases or decreases, by means of "the centrifugal governor." The sails of the windmill are all connected with a disk, at one end of a sliding rod, which rod passes through the centre of the shaft of the sail wheel, it being made hollow for that purpose; the end of the sliding rod opposite to the disk is provided with a rack, said rack being acted upon by a pinion that receives its motion from the slide of the governor. The increased velocity of the wind wheel will throw out the balls of the governor, which, by their connexion with the sails by means of the sliding rod and disk, increases their inclination, and thus Jessens the action of the wind upon them,

and consequently retards the motion of the mill.

MACHINERY FOR HOISTING WEIGHTS, &c. John B. Holmes.-In this machine the rope, or chain, to which the weight is suspended, winds around two grooved drums, to each of which there is attached a cogwheel, mashing into a pinion that lies between the two, and by which they are actuated, the two cog-wheels having the same number of teeth, to insure the same motion to the two drums. These drums, together with their cog-wheels, project outside of the frame, one of them turning on a spindle attached to the side of the frame, and the other on a spindle which passes entirely through it -the part of it which is within the frame being adapted to receive one of a train of wheels for multiplying the power. One of the drums has cogs cut upon its outer edge, which take into the teeth of a pinion on the axle of a grooved roller, for the pupose of making pressure upon the rope, or chain, to prevent its slipping.

TURNING STRAIGHT, CURVED, OR TAPER WORK. Stacy Costill.-The piece of wood to be turned is fixed to a mandril, and passes through a hole in a plate attached to a slide rest. The hole in the plate is provided with three segments that slide in radial grooves made in the plate for the purpose of regulating the size of the hole to suit the size of handle required to be turned. The segments are all moved together by a second plate, which has three eccentric grooves cut in it, that receive projections from the back of the said segments. The turning of the lastmentioned plate, at the back of the main plate, will, therefore, cause the segments to approach or recede from the centre. The cutting is effected by a cutter attached by proper fixtures to one of the segments.

IMPROVED BEE-HIVE. James Le Pataurel. The proposed improvement is in that kind of hive in which the honey is formed in glasses, and by which the patentee says he is " enabled to take out the honey, &c., from the hive, without destroying the bees, and without running any risk of being injured by them." The glasses are made with a stem, which fits a hole in the cover of the hive, and are provided with a hole at top, and they are arranged in pairs, at a suitable distance apart, to receive two pipes that branch out from a furnace for generating smoke. When it is desired to drive the bees from a set of glasses into the apartment below, the pipes are applied to the glasses, and a composition, consisting of 3 oz. of sulphur, 4 oz. of pitch or tar, 1 oz. of tobacco, and

oz. of grease, is put into the furnace, which generates a smoke that expels the bees. The glasses are then removed, and the holes closed

by means of movable covers. When it is desired to drive the bees from one apartment to another, the pipes of the furnace are introduced through holes in the cover of that apartment from which they are to be driven.

IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAMENGINES. Charles W. Copeland.-The cylinders, in this arrangement of the engine, are inclined at an angle dependent upon the depth of the hold, and the length of stroke, and they are fastened to inclined beams, extending from the paddle-wheel shaft to the kelsons, said beams being connected with the kelsons, along their whole length, by other beams, and by bolts-the whole constituting truss-frames, which sustain and divide the weight and jar of the engines. The condensers are directly under the upper end of the cylinders, and the channel-plates run between the kelsons. The lower end of the air-pumps, which are inclined, as well as the cylinders, are secured to the ends of the said channelplates, and the hot wells to their upper parts; the delivery valves are placed on the upper side of the channel-plates. The pistons of the air-pumps, in this arrangement, are solid; and the whole apparatus is rendered compact, and placed within the reach of the engineer. The side pipes are placed above the cylinders, the steam chests at each end thereof, and the valve stems running down in front of the heads of the cylinder to the rock shaft. The feet are attached directly to the stems, instead of lifting-rods, and are acted upon by the toes of the rock shafts, the two rock shafts being connected together by a rod.

LAMP FOR BURNING OIL AND CAMPHINE. Christian and Charles Richman. -The wick tube of this lamp, which is on the principle of the Argand, is provided with two holders that are jointed to the lower end of the tube, their upper ends being semicircular, and made to hold the wick against the upper end of the said tube. This holder slides on the inner cylinder of the lamp, a pin on its inner side passing into a groove on the outside of the cylinder; and on the outside of the holder is placed the runner, which has a spiral groove running from its upper end to near the bottom, into which fits a pin from the wick-holder, so that by turning the runner, the wick-holder will be made to rise or sink vertically. The upper end of the runner is connected with the glass holder. The button is made conical, and of glass, instead of being flat and of metal.

SPARK ARRESTERS FOR LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER CHIMNEYS. W. W. Hubbell. Four different spark arresters are described. 1. In the first apparatus, the spark arrester and the receptacle for the sparks, instead of surrounding the chimney as usual, is placed alongside of it, and they are made to com

municate with each other at or near, the top -the latter being of greater diameter than the former. Within the tube of the spark arrester there is a perforated tube of less diameter and length, so as to leave a space all around, between the two, and at the bottom. The perforated tube, where the arrester receives the draught, smoke, sparks, &c., is covered with solid sheet metal, for the purpose of scattering the sparks. The top of the chimney is provided with a cap, which may be removed whenever it is not desired to make use of the arrester. The space between the outer and the inner perforated tube is covered, so that the draught must pass through the perforations in the inner tube, the sparks being retained in the space between the two. By this arrangement, we are told by the patentee, that "the chimney is not rendered top-heavy, a less surface than usual is exposed to the action of the wind; advantage is also derived from the large surface of the casing which is exposed to the action of the external air, which condenses a portion of the exhaust steam which is passed into the chimney as usual, and is forced along with the sparks, into the space between the outer and inner tubes." 2. The chimney, in this arrester, is surrounded by a perforated cylinder, and the whole by a jacket, which extends down lower than the said perforated cylinder, but not quite so low as the chimney. The chimney is provided with a movable cap, as described in the preceding notice; and the space between the perforated cylinder and jacket is permanently covered with a cap. Near the top, the chimney communicates with the outer space, by means of pipes that pass through the perforated cylinder, so that the draught passes from the chimney into the outer space, and thence, through the perforations in the cylinder, into the space between the chimney and perforated cylinder, and out at the top. 3. In this instrument, the smoke box is surmounted by a drum, and upon this is placed the chimney, which is connected with it by means of a hinge, to admit of passing under bridges, &c. Within the drum is placed a cylinder of perforated metal, or wire gauze, which is closed at its lower end by a plate of solid metal, with a hole in the middle, surrounded by a flanch projecting downwards, for the reception of the exhaust steam pipes, the upper end of the said cylinder being left open. Within the drum there is a belt, or zone, of perforated metal, or wire gauze, united with it at its lower end, and which extends up conically and is united with the upper end of the perforated cylinder, by an annular plate which closes the space between the two. In the space be

tween the perforated cylinder and zone, there is an imperforated casing, or tube, which extends from within a short distance of their upper ends, to the top of the fire box, a part of it being within, and the rest below the drum, the lower end of which is inclined and connected with the said case by an annular plate, that forms an inclined plane, to cause the sparks which fall upon it to descend into a box at the side. There is an inclined pipe which runs down from the inclined lower end of the drum to the box or receptacle for the sparks; this pipe is divided into two parts by a perforated diaphragm, extending its length, and dividing it into an upper and lower space; the upper space being connected with the upper part of the drum by a pipe. Within the perforated cylinder is an imperforated tube, open at both ends, (and supported by stays,) for the purpose of directing the exhaust steam immediately up the chimney, and to prevent it, by its expansion, from impeding the passage of the draught through the perforations in the cylinder. 4. The patentee says:"I have combined a horizontal spark arrester and flue with a vertical chimney, which chimney may, in most cases, be made so short as not to require to be turned down, but which may, if desired, be attached to the part constituting the arrester by a hinged joint, and may then be turned down with facility. The horizontal flue that is combined with the spark arrester may be considered as constituting a part thereof, and it is likewise to be considered as forming a part of the chimney; this horizontal flue I sometimes surround by the perforated sheet metal, or wire gauze, by which the sparks are to be arrested."

SHIP BUILDING.

A most ingenious model has fallen under our observation, of which Captain Drew (the destroyer of the piratical Caroline) is the inventor, for strengthening ships of war, so as to make it all but impossible they shall become hogged. To steam-vessels of the larger class the adoption of this simple and comparatively inexpensive machinery will prove of most vital importance. The immense weight of the engines requisite for a steam-ship render her more than ordinarily liable to break amidships. Captain Drew's plan was, we are told, suggested by the ingenious and admirably effective operation lately performed on the Penelope.

The grand feature of his project is to relieve a steam-vessel from the vast weight of machinery amidships, and to throw it upon two distant parts of the ship, much more

capable of sustaining it; and if there be any one vessel to which such an adjunct will be more especially necessary than another, it is the Penelope, whose machinery will be placed exactly in the space occupied by the 60 feet of timber which remains to be added to its length. Captain Drew's plan consists of two longitudinal pieces of timber firmly trussed together, constructed on something like the principle of the arch of a bridge, which will be capable of bearing an immense weight. These bearers are to be covered by a platform for the machinery of four-inch plank; so that the strongest part of the vessel will, in future, be that which has hitherto proved the weakest. It is wellknown that the unfortunate President was broken-backed before she left the British Channel on her last trip, from the immense weight of her machinery amidships-the undoubted cause of her melancholy catastrophe. The owners of the British Queen are, we are told, about to cut her in two, for the purpose of avoiding a similar catastrophe, and it is well-known that the long steam-vessels running in Canada seldom last more than five or six years, from the same cause. If, therefore, Captain Drew's plan should realize the expectations we have formed of it, it cannot fail of proving of most vital importance to the navy at large, and to steam-ships in particular.

We had almost forgotten to notice another important advantage that will be gained by Captain Drew's plan. The circumstance of the machinery being placed upon a platform that will be, to a certain extent, elastic, will obviate in a great degree that constant jar which is so trying to the timbers of a steamship, and so inconvenient to its occupants.

We have the greater pleasure in speaking of this invention as we think it deserves, inasmuch as we have understood that Captain Drew has no interested motive in placing it before the public. He seeks no patent, and desires no reward beyond the credit of being instrumental in preserving not only valuable property, but human life, from destruction.-United Service Gazette.

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Philadelphia and its immediate neighbourhood, had been using this fuel for several years, it was regarded by some as doubtful whether, in steamboats and locomotive engines, it could be substituted for wood. The problem of its applicability to the purposes of the founder, to melt iron in the cupola, has been settled affirmatively for some years -as have all the other points above referred to. For the forge-fire of the common blacksmith it has been extensively introduced. In our anthracite region no other fuel is used for this purpose; and for various manufactures, such as lime-burning, malting, &c., it has been put into considerable requisition. An object of not less importance, perhaps, than any of the preceding, is its employment in the smelting of iron ore in the blast furnace, and the converting of cast, into malleable iron, by refining, puddling, and re-heating.

The making of iron with coke, so long practised in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as on the continent of Europe, can hardly be said to have yet come into practice in this country. A number of attempts have, it is true, been made to introduce this important branch of manufacture, and, as was very natural, the state of Pennsylvania, abounding throughout a vast portion of her territory with bituminous coal, in immediate contiguity with beds of iron ore and limestone, has been the scene of most of those attempts. The legislature of Pennsylvania, in 1836, passed an act for the encouragement of the manufacture of iron by mineral fuel, giving to the governor authority to charter companies with ample powers in regard to the amount of stock and quantity of land, for the purpose of prosecuting this branch of industry. In the same year, though not under the privileges conferred by this law, a quantity of iron was made with coke, by Mr. F. H. Oliphant, of Fayette county, who sent to the Franklin Institute samples of the metal produced, and of the various materials employed at the furnace. It is understood, however, that this gentleman does not continue the manufacture of iron by coke, probably from the higher value set upon charcoal iron, particularly for conversion into steel, which is carried on at his establishment. It is also probable that, in a region where wood is still abundant and mining labour scarce, the economy of using coke instead of charcoal may admit of some doubt, especially as the cost of machinery and power, to supply blast for coke furnaces, is generally greater than that required for charcoal.

During the years 1835-36 and 37, furnaces were erected at Karthaus and Farrandsville, on the west branch of the Susquehan

nah river, and at Frozen Run, near the Lycoming creek. At the first of these establishments, several hundred tons of pig metal were produced by coke, but for want of due discrimination in the selection, and care in the preparation of ores, the quality of the product was such as to render it unsaleable, and the works had the farther disadvantage of being placed beyond the reach of the present state improvements, a circumstance, which rendered the transportation of supplies as well as of the metal, too uncertain and expensive. The furnace at Farrandsville was unfortunately placed in regard to ore, the latter being brought by canal from Larrey creek and Bloomsburg, at distances of 20 and 100 miles. The wealthy gentlemen, to whose liberal outlays the erection of this fine establishment is due, have, it is understood, come to the determination to dispose of the same, and thus to relinquish the honour which the friends of our domestic industry had hoped to see them achieve; namely, that of introducing the profitable manufacture of iron by means of the bituminous coal of Pennsylvania. The furnace at Frozen Run is well situated in regard to ore, having a 3 feet bed of yellowish white carbonate, as its principal reliance; but the beds of coal in the neighbourhood have not proved so valuable for immediate use, as the heavy forests of timber growing above them; and hence the furnace was found at the last visit of the writer (September, 1839) to be using charcoal, and making therewith excellent pig metal. In this brief reference to coke furnaces in Pennsylvania, it would be unjust to omit mentioning that of Lonakoning, situated on George's creek, in Maryland, a few miles south of the Pennsylvania line, and in the rich coal basin lying between the Savage and the Little Alleghany mountains. When visited, in the beginning of June, 1839, this furnace was making about 70 tons per week of good foundry metal, and every thing betokened a successful prosecution of its operations. It had, however, the misfortune to be situated remote from any available line of public works, and accordingly the expense of bringing its products to market has paralyzed its operations.

On the south branch of Jennings's Run, a few miles north-eastwardly from Frostburg, and in the same coal basin with Lonakoning, two large blast furnaces, on the Welsh plan, for using coke or bituminous coal, are now in progress.

In contrast with this slow progress and languishing state of the coke establishments, we find that within little more than three years, the anthracite furnaces have comman. ed the attention of many enterprising parties, and that already not less than 11 or 12,

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