of air through the machine, by means of a valve or door, operating after the manner or upon the principle herein before set forth." This

A REFRIGERATOR; Job S. Gold. refrigerator consists of a square, or other formed, double box, with a space between the two, filled in with any bad conductor of heat. The inside is provided with shelves, open at the ends to allow of a free circulation of the air from one compartment to the other. At the top, or upper part, there is an apartment, or reservoir, for ice, and at the side there is another reservoir for ice water, the upper part thereof communicating with the bottom of the ice chamber, and the lower end being provided with a cock for drawing off the water.

The claim is, first, to the separate apartment for the ice at the top or in the upper part of the refrigerator, substantially as described. Second, to the combination of the ice water reservoir and the arrangement of the shelves with the apartment for ice as specified, for the purpose of producing the circulation of air to equalize the temperature, substantially as described. And third, to the ice water reservoir in combination with the apartment for ice, as described.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE HARVESTING MACHINE; Aifred Churchill.-This machine is intended for thrashing all kinds of grain when standing in the field, without cutting the straw.

There are two chains, one on each side of the forward part of the machine, which chains pass over rollers, or pulleys, and to which four rods are attached at equal distances apart. Immediately back of these chains and rods is placed the thrashing cylinder and concave, which are of the usual construction; and between the chains and rods, and the thrasher, there is a cap, provided with hooks, which slides up and down. As the machine is pushed forward the rods on the chains catch the heads of grain and push them towards the thrasher, at the same time one of the rods on the chains catches the hooks on the cap, which is thus lifted up, the heads of grain are pushed under, the cap is then relieved, falls on to the grain, and holds it during the operation of thrashing.

Claim.-"What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the method herein described, of gathering and thrashing grain at the same time by means of the revolving rods, and oscillating or revolving cap, constituting the gatherer, in combination with the thrasher and concave, the whole being constructed and operating substantially in the manner set forth."

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS, CON

FINED IN PIPES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES; Francis R. Torbet.-In the constructing of this apparatus one end of a balance lever is connected, by a joint link, with a sliding valve, which governs the inlet of steam or other fluid, and the other end of said balance is connected with a piston which works in a cylinder opening into the pipe or other receptacle, into which the steam or other fluid has been admitted. A sliding counter weight is attached to one end of the balance lever, so that by moving it farther from or nearer to the fulcrum, the pressure of the steam or other fluid will be regulated. It will be evident that if the pressure within the pipe be too great, the piston will be forced up in its cylinder, which, by means of the connexion with the balance lever, will partially close the sliding valve, and vice versa.

Claim."I do not claim as my invention any parts of the machine as new in mechanics, nor as involving a new or peculiar motion, but I do claim as my invention, and not previously known or used, the general arrangement of the machine herein described and set forth for the purpose of regulating the pressure of steam and other fluids confined in pipes and other receptacles, by means of a piston, moved by the pressure of the fluid itself, and communicating its motion to a slide valve so as to reduce the aperture through which such fluid, but under greater pressure, is admitted."

One hundred individuals, each of the ages of twenty-three, subscribe annually for ten years a sufficient sum each to enable the survivors to receive each 1001. at the end of

twenty years. How much per annum will each subscriber have to pay for the ten years to afford each of the survivors the abovementioned sum? The calculation to be made at 3 or 4 per cent., and the survivorships to be taken from the Northampton any other tables of probabilities. Also, supposing the proprietary of such a scheme to receive one-third of the profits, what will the annual premium be in that case?

or

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The Fountain in Kensington Gardens. The water and scenery in that part of Kensington Gardens where this fountain is placed are in a style of what may be termed commonplace nature; but the fountain, which is placed in the middle of the river, consists of a series of circular cast-iron basins, arranged on a vertical axis one above another, exactly like an old-fashioned dumb-waiter. The cast-iron axis rises abruptly from the water; and the whole, which may be 10 or 12 feet high, is painted white. Any thing less in accordance with the surrounding scenery it is difficult to imagine. We have often, when passing this fountain, asked ourselves whether it be possible that Lord Lincoln, and the other Commissioners of Woods and Forests, can approve of it; and, if they do not approve of it, how it happens that such a hideous object, or indeed any object intended to be ornamental, could be put up without their knowledge and approbation. If this fountain had risen out of a base of rock work it would have been less hideous, but still liable to the objection of being altogether incongruous to the scene in which it is placed. A single bold jet from a mass of rock in such a scene we hold to be admissible, but by no means either a jet or a drooping fountain from sculpture or regular architecture. The most appropriate fountain which could be introduced in this part of the water in Kensington Gardens, is what we suggested in our Volume for 1841 (p. 331), viz. huge masses of rock in the form of a source, placed where the mock bridge now stands, from which the water might trickle down in streamlets. We say this kind of fountain would have been the most appropriate; because, being at the upper end or commencement of the river, or rather lake, it would have indicated how it was supplied, while no violence would have been done to the character of the scenery. Instead of exhibiting a source of this kind, and disguising the termination of the lake by one or two islands, an attempt is made to keep up the character of a river by building three arches as a termination, the commonplace resource, in cases of this kind, in the infancy of the natural style of laying out grounds, but long since rejected by every modern artist of cultivated taste. Altogether, the termination of this piece of water is so bad in itself, and so ridiculous when contrasted with the real bridge within sight of it, that we think it will be instructive to exhibit its absurdity by sketches, which we intend sooner or later to do. The fountain at present only plays occasionally; but, if a rocky source were substituted, the supply of water might easily be so regulated as to flow throughout the whole of that portion of every day during which the gardens are open to the public.-Gardener's Magazine for June.

The loftiest Chimney in the World.-A chimney has just been completed at the St. Rollox chemical works, near Glasgow, which is supposed to be the loftiest in the world. It rises 450 feet from the ground, and at least 600 feet above the more densely peopled portions of the city and the bed of the river. In relative height, independent of the elevation of its base, it is little inferior to the loftiest superstructures in the world; in absolute height it towers into the air incomparably higher. The great pyramid of Cheops rises 498 feet, but this includes a base of 150. Strasburg cathedral is 474; St. Peter's in Rome, from ground to pinnacle, 450, being exactly the height of this chimney; St. Paul's, in London, 370. The base of the chimney, underground, is 46 feet in diameter; at the ground, 40; at the top, 13 feet 6 inches.

A new iron Steam Frigate, called the Guadaloupe,

has been built for the East India Company's navy, and will take her departure in a few days. The Guadaloupe is the largest iron steamer yet built. Her length, from the figure-head to the taffrail, is 201 feet, and her breadth of beam 30 feet 1 inch, and her tonnage, per admeasurement, nearly 800 tons. She only draws 9 feet of water, with provisions and water for 120 men, and 10 days' coal on board. She carries two large pivot-guns, one forward and the other aft, 68-pounders, on sliding carriages of oak, the under-frame working on circular rails of brass, secured to the deck. The weight of each gun, including the carriages, is from 5 to 6 tons. She is brigantine rigged, and is a very handsome vessel. She will prove a very powerful coadjutor to the Nemesis, Queen, Phlegethon, and Sesostris, now engaged in the Chinese warfare at Chusan, Chinhae, and Ningpo. The Guadaloupe is built in compartments, and a proof of the efficacy of this plan has been afforded by the Nemesis, which had a hole knocked in her bottom at the taking of Amoy, yet performed important services for four months subsequently without being laid up for repairs, The accommodations for the crew of the Guadaloupe are exceedingly roomy, and there is space for berthing troops, if necessary.-Times.

Going ahead! The Admiralty made a great step in advance, when they lately ordered the Penelope to be fitted with engines of 650 horse power; but, as if determined to put all competition utterly out of the question, they have since ordered another to be built called the Dragon, which is to have engines of 800 horse power, and will be of double the power of any of our present steam frigates. Not many workshops in Great Britain are capable of producing such enormous engines, and in all France there is not one. Even the Dragon, however, will be inferior by 200 horse power, to the Great Britain (late Mammoth) just on the point of completion, by a private company of adventurers.

Immense Gun.-On Wednesday last a barge arrived at the wharf of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, having on board the largest gun ever made in this country. A powerful shears was put up expressly for landing this ponderous piece of ordnance, weighing very nearly eighteen tons, none of the cranes on the wharf being equal to the task. The arrangements for landing this great gun were excellently made, and carried into effect without the slightest accident; and the labour of conveying it to the butt, shows great ingenuity, being effected by a coil of strong rope around it, moving the immense mass in a rolling manuer along four large logs of wood, changed alternately as the gun progresses. This gun is made on the howitzer principle, and is about 12 feet long, with an immense quantity of metal at the breech. The diameter of the bore is within about one-tenth of 16 inches. The weight of solid shot with which it will be fired is 4551b, and shells of 3301b., and it is expected two solid shot of that weight and four shells in the same proportion will be used when it is proved at the butt. The howitzer was cast and bored by Messrs. Walker and Co., for Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt, and two other large guns, 130 pounders, were landed at the same time to be proved for service in Egypt.-Times.

INTENDING PATENTEES may be supplied gratis with Instructions, by application (postpaid) to Messrs. J. C. Robertson and Co., 166, Fleet-street, by whom is kept the only COMPLETE REGISTRY OF PATENTS EXTANT from 1617 to the present time).

BESSEMER'S PATENT IMPROVEMENTS The improvements comprehended under the present patent (dated 23d Sept. 1841) are, if we mistake not, of more importance than any which have been introduced into the glass manufacture for a long series of years. They relate principally to the two descriptions of glass known by the names of plate glass, and optical flint glass. Those which at present concern plate glass we propose to describe very fully; but as the ingenious inventor is now engaged in some experiments which are expected to throw great additional light on the optical flint glass improvements, we shall defer the description of them for a few weeks, in order that we may have the benefit in drawing it up, of the results of these experiments.

The present process of manufacturing plate glass is described by Mr. Bessemer as being defective in the following particulars:

1st. It has been found that owing to glass being a bad conductor of heat the upper strata in the melting cisterns average 2500 Fahr. of heat more than at the bottom. Now as the salt potass or soda used in the manufacture of glass is evaporable, it is evident that from the increased heat at the surface, the composition of the metal at the top must be very different from that at the bottom of the cistern. Owing to the great loss of salt the refractive property of the glass also undergoes a change, and its rate of expansion and contraction at different temperatures is in like manner liable to be affected, while the increased fluidity of the upper strata adds to the general inequality of the mass. When such a cistern of metal is thrown out on the "casting table," and is rolled into a sheet, the different portions of the metal, with their varied properties, come in contact with each other, and where the more refractive portion joins the less refractive, the defect so commonly occurring (which is called in the trade wariness) manifests itself. Its liability to fracture is also much increased, from the different compositions of the various parts in contact, or rather in union, with each other, possessing different rates of expansion and contraction. 2dly. Another defect of the present system arises from the heat being principally applied to the upper surface of the glass in the cistern, whereby the upper stratum of glass becomes hotter and specifically lighter than the under one, which prevents a circulation of the particles forming the mass-the cooler and heavier strata be

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. neath being stationary, by which means the desired equal mixture of the ingredients is greatly obstructed, and the ascent and escape of the thousands of air bubbles or "seeds" (as they are technically called) is prevented, since their floating power is too small to allow of their escape. 3dly. On the old system, in order to apply the reverberatory heat to the best advantage, the mouth of the cistern is left uncovered. This allows dust to fall in,-admits sometimes the smoke, which produces discoloration of the metal wherever it touches it, and sometimes small fragments off the angles of the bricks or stones forming the arch, and what are called "tears," to drop from the arch, these tears being formed by the action of the evaporated salt acting on the fire brick or stone arch, and making a semi-transparent glass, which falling into the cistern produces serious evils. 4thly. The difficulty of removing one cistern in the old furnace without cooling the remainder, thereby creating much hurry and confusion in the casting, from the necessity of taking so little time to empty all the cisterns, while it often occurs that the glass in the cistern last drawn is not in a state to be used, or, at any rate, is much deteriorated in quality. Lastly, The old system of heating is most destructive to furnaces, as their roofs or arches have to receive the heat to be given out to the cisterns, and when these furnaces are once lighted, they cannot be let out again without destroying the arches, and the consequence is, that they only last a short time,—in some cases only about fifteen months.

To remove these defects Mr. Bessemer inserts one or more plates or discs of platinum in the bottom of the melting cistern, as represented in the accompanying engravings, fig. 1 and 2, and places the cistern so as that

its bottom is exposed to the direct action of the fire. The heated air and flame, after striking the platinum disc, pass through the openings under the cistern into the upper annular space, where they enclose the cistern as it were in a cylinder of flame, meeting over its top in a cone and then escaping into the flue. The object, however, of thus surrounding the cistern with flame is stated to be more for the prevention of radiation from the cistern than for the transmission of heat to the metal. The effect of applying heat through the medium of the thin plate of platinum at the bottom is that those particles of glass which first receive it are expanded, and by their expansion have their