bottom, where they are only an inch or two apart; a rod extends from end to end of the opening, and partially closes it. The material to be scattered is put into the trough, or hoppers, and a longitudinal, vibrating motion is communicated to the above named rod, which has teeth, or pins, on it, to agitate the plaster, &c., and cause it to be scattered. The machine is badly described, and the claims made confine the patentee to the particular mode represented of effecting his object; they are to "the arrangement and adaptation of the crank, crank-rod, elbow, and horizontal rod, arm, and sliding rod, with its teeth, together with the regulating gauges, as described." It would require but little mechanical skill to construct a machine to answer all the purposes of the foregoing parts without using either of them "as described."

40. For an improvement in the art of Making Brushes; Wm. Steel, city of New York, Aug. 17.

The stocks are to be prepared as usual for set, or drawn, work, and the setting, or drawing, is to be effected in the usual way; the difference between them and other brushes consisting in the substitution of feathers for bristles. The feathers are sometimes to be used by doubling them in the middle, so that the quill, as well as the feather end may project out; the quill end, if „esired, may be split, or divided into several ends. In other cases the quill ends are to be inserted within the stock. "This applicant claiming the exclusive right to the mode of constructing brushes of feathers, for the following uses, viz: for dusting brushes of all kinds, hearth brushes, water brushes, and hair brushes of all kinds. This applicant contemplating the application of the principle of this improvement to the construction of all kinds of brushes which may be made of feathers instead of bristles.”

The title of this patent is incorrect, as the improvement is not in the art of making brushes, but in the employment of a new material; it is therefore, properly, a new manufacture.

41. For an improvement in the Screw Wrench; Solyman Merrick, Springfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts, August 17.

In this screw wrench the sliding jaw is not drawn back by turning the handle, as is usually the case with those imported, but the bar which is at the back, and makes a part of the sliding jaw, is acted upon by a nut which swivels in it, and turns upon a double threaded screw, extending from the oblong square part upon which the sliding jaw moves, to the handle, which is of wood. The nut is made octagonal, and is easily turned by the thumb and finger. The claim is limited to the arrangement of the screw and nut, which we believe to be new.

These articles are manufactured by N. Foot & Co., Springfield, Massachusetts; we have seen them, and can aver that in point of construction and of workmanship, one of them is worth several of the best imported wrenches.

42. For a Vapour Bath; Pierre Paul Nöel D'Alvigny, city of New York. An alien, who has resided two years in the United States; August 17.

We have here a long story about the construction and use of this vapour bath, after perusing which, we are no wiser than we were before we commenced the task, the whole system adopted, being such as is well known both in this country, and in Europe. The patentee claims "the manner i VOL. XVII.-No. 3.-MARCH, 1836.

22

which he has combined and arranged the several parts described," which, with the exception of such variations as would be made by any two persons forming a similar establishment, presents, as we have said, nothing new.

43. For an improvement in the Saw Mill Saw; Levi Fisk, Schroon, Essex county, New York, August 17.

Every third tooth of a saw mill saw is to be sharpened to a cutting edge on its upper side, the teeth so sharpened being alternately on reverse sides of the saw; these teeth are then to be so set as to cause them to take a thin shaving off in their ascent, and thus to plane the sawed stuff, or to render it much smoother than is done by the common saw. It is said that experience has shown that the best effect is produced by so sharpening every third tooth, although an adherence to this number is not absolutely necessary. The claim is, to "the upper oblique edge of saw teeth being cut to the right and left alternately, and set together, or betwixt any number of common teeth, for the upward motion of the saw, for the purpose of sawing wood in a smooth manner, as above described."

44. For a Churn; Clifton C. Stearns, Bucksport, Hancock county, Maine, August 17.

This churn is to have a vertical shaft, to which a revolving motion may be given, by means of a winch and bevil gearing. The dashers which project from the shaft, are to stand at an angle of about 45° with it, which, it is said, will give a tendency to the butter, as it is formed, to accumulate about the centre, thereby improving it, and causing the churn to work with the greater ease. The claim is to "the plan, or principle, of giving the dashers an oblique position, by which the butter, when formed, is thrown or accumulated in the centre of the churn."

45. For a Pendulum Level; Asahel Munger, Oberlin, Lorain county, Ohio, August 17.

"This improvement consists, principally and especially, in attaching a tube, or a straight bar, with a sight at each end, to the top of a pendulum, in such a manner as to admit of its being arranged or adjusted, either by screws, or otherwise, at right angles with the pendulum, and may be suspended within an enclosure of any kind, which shall protect it from the influence of currents of air."

We have been in the habit of supposing that those persons who use levels, sometimes read books on the subject of surveying, engineering, &c.; but we find that this must not always be assumed. The pendulum level has been mentioned and exhibited in a thousand books, in all the languages of civilized nations. It is to be seen, with the pendulum enclosed, in Leupold's Theatrum Machinarum, in plate 3, vol. iii., published in 1724; how long it had been then known, we have not taken the trouble to ascertain. Its merits, or rather its demerits, have been a matter of frequent discussion.

46. For a machine for Planing and Matching Boards; Fisher Stedman, Acquackanockin, Essex county, New Jersey, August 17.

The specification of this patent is equally laboured and obscure, yet it is manifest that the writer has desired to make it plain. It seems as though the model had been depended upon to make the machine known, as the drawing, although on three sheets of paper, can scarcely be said to illustrate

any thing. Toothed wheels, revolving cutters, saws, &c., &c., are all represented by simple lines, so that the man who should attempt to make the machine, must invent it in all its details. We learn, however, after much labour, that boards are to be planed by a round horizontal cutter wheel, under one side of which they are to be passed, by the aid of pressing rollers. The matching is to be by a dovetailed joint formed by horizontal cutters, which take away half the stuff on opposite sides towards each edge, thus, if we understand the thing correctly. The claim is to "the whole apparatus and combination of machinery by which the board is traversed by the cutters in dressing the surface, and by which the edges are matched in the dovetail form, as described above, and is the invention for which a patent is now prayed."

The first part of this claim is altogether untenable, the dressing of boards by traversing cutters, in the way described, having been practised in numerous instances. Dovetail cutters were used at the navy yard in Washington, sixteen or eighteen years ago, for matching wharf timbers, and they were not then new; still, in the combination with the other machinery, had that not been altogether old, it possibly might have been sustained.

47. For an improvement in the Manufacturing of Chairs; Eli F. Benjamin, Utica, Oneida county, New York, August 17.

A machine is employed for the purpose of boring the different parts of the chair which are to be connected together, as all the chairs made upon the plan of the patentee are to be put together by dowells. The machine has a shifting top, upon which the pieces to be bored are secured by proper means, the movements of the top admitting of giving the proper rake in all directions; there are, attached to the frame, two spindles, running like lathe spindles, to receive the bits to be used. The claim is to "the putting chairs together by or with dowells, and the described form of machinery for expediting every part of the work."

The model is referred to throughout the specification, which is a very gross error, though by no means an uncommon one. A drawing is given, but it does not furnish the details of the "described form of machinery;" to an ingenious workman, this, it is true, would be a thing of little consequence, as he could easily construct the required apparatus without trenching upon the claims of the patentee.

48. For a Rarefied Air and Rotary Motion Steam Engine; George Cameron, Washington city, August 17.

This is one of the oldest and worst species of engines ever made, as its power is to be derived from blowing the steam on to the buckets of a wheel. Much stress is laid upon the using of a forked pipe, leading to opposite sides of the wheel, and furnished with stop cocks, to reverse the motion. The rarefied air part consists of a similar wheel, on to which the rarefied air from the furnace chimney is to be directed. We would propose as a motto for this, "de pis en pis."

49. For Preparing and Hatcheling Hemp, Flax, &c.; John Goulding, Boston, Massachusetts, August 19.

In this machine, the hemp is to be laid in a trough, in small handsful, and carried forward by a feeding apron, between feeding rollers, which deliver it on to a large hatcheling cylinder, set with suitable teeth, between which

it is pressed, so as to lie closely on the cylinder, by means of a reel-like roller, the longitudinal wires of which mash between the wire teeth. After passing under this cylinder, the hemp is raised, by a contrivance for that purpose, upon a second cylinder, revolving about seventeen times more rapidly than the former, and, of course, drawing out the fibres. From this second cylinder, it passes through a trumpet-mouthed tube, between rollers, and into a can. The slivers from ten, or any other convenient number, of such cans, may afterwards be passed together through the same circuit, and this may be repeated as often as may be thought necessary.

The claim is to "the above described mode of hatcheling hemp, flax, tow, or Manilla grass, and producing thereby a continuous strand, or sliver." We think that this claim is in terms too general, unless it can be made to appear that the machine is new in all its arrangements, as applied to the purpose for which it is to be used.

50. For an improvement in the Endless Chain Horse Power; Benjamin Wales, Hallowell, Kennebec county, Maine, August 17.

The main dependence for sustaining the slats of this horse power, is the construction of the links, or hinges, by which they are connected together; various forms of the stop hinge joints, or self-supporting arches, have been devised for the same purpose, but they are all insecure, depending too much upon the strength of each individual joint. The patentee claims, "the modes of forming the hinge, and the peculiar form of the link; the forming of the end wheels with lips and projections; the mode of communicating power by the projections of the chain fitting into the indentations between the projec tions of the wheels; and the mode of sustaining the chain, and keeping it in its place by means of the railway and small wheels, as described." The novelty of some of these things is more than doubtful.

51. For Medicine for Cholera; Robert S. Bernard, Norfolk, Norfolk county, Virginia, August 17.

Take

Pure water,

oz.

1 oz.

3 oz.

A table-spoonful of the mixture in as much water, to be taken every hour, or half hour. For children, in proportion.

This is to cure Asiatic Cholera, Cholera Morbus, and Diarrhoea.

52. For a Cooking Stove; Edward N. Kent, Portland, Cumberland county, Maine, August 17.

The patentee finds much in this stove to commend, and we have no doubt that a good dinner may be as well cooked by it, as by many others; there is not enough of novelty in it, however, to render any particular description necessary; the claims are, to "the damper for dividing the draught each way, and its rack; the form in which the stove is made to cook so many different ways, with less fuel and trouble than is caused in other stoves, I do not

claim." Less could scarcely have been claimed, but still we believe it will be found that even this little is more than is really new; dampers, or valves, having been used in various ways, to divide the draft, and to direct it over, under, or around, an oven, much in the way described in the present instance.

53. For Covering Houses with Sheet Tin, &c.; Charles Bonnycastle, Charlottesville, Albemarle county, Virginia, August 17.

This patent is taken for improvements on the plan for which a patent was obtained by the same gentleman, on the 29th of June, 1833. The object aimed at is a simple and easy mode of fixing the rooffing of buildings, so as to allow a free play to the expansion and contraction for which it is subjected, both longitudinally and laterally. The particular way in which this is effected, would require a cut for its explanation.

54. For Destroying Weevils, and other Insects, and their Eggs, in Grain; to Expel Moisture from Grain, Meal, and Manufactured Flour, and for Drying Malt; James A. Lee, Maysville, Mason county, Kentucky, administrator of James Lee, deceased, August 17. (See specification.)

55. For a Machine for Serving Ropes, or Rigging; James Fales, New Bedford, Bristol county, Massachusetts, August 20.

A perpendicular frame is made capable of traveling upon rollers, and at a convenient height from the floor; upon this frame there is a cog wheel with a tubular shaft, which wheel is so made that a portion of its rim, say one-fourth, or one-third, may be removed, for the purpose of admitting and removing the rope to be served, and again firmly fixed in its place. A rack, containing a reel for the serving yarn, is placed behind the wheel and hollow axles. In using this machine, the rope, after being passed through the tube, is stretched taut; the yarn, by the aid of a serving mallet, is passed around the rope in the usual way, and motion being then given to the wheel, by proper gearing, the serving is expeditiously performed. The claim is to "the above described combination of machinery, and its application to the purpose of serving ropes, or rigging."

56. For an improvement in the Grist Mill; Adna L. Norcross, Hallowell, Kennebec county, Maine, August 20.

There may be an improvement here, but in what it consists we do not know, as the drawing, which is referred to, is a very poor affair. We learn, however, that the runner, of twelve inches in diameter, is to be fixed upon a horizontal shaft; that the bedstone, which is square, is to be grooved out to receive the runner, and that a small groove on the upper side of the bed stone is to admit the grain. The claim is "to the peculiar form and manner of constructing the mill stones, together with the general arrangement of the machinery."

57. For machinery for Spinning Hemp and Flax; Andrew Caldwell, Lexington, Fayette county, Kentucky, August 20.

The patentee says that, "by the machine I have invented, and the improvements upon the spindle, (which requires one hand to each spindle,) I am enabled to spin twice as much yarn as is now spun by one hand in the