The lever c, is affixed to the axle d, and when raised and depressed gives reciprocating rotary action to the axle d. The toothed wheel e, slides loosely round upon the axle d, and a similar toothed wheel ƒ, slides also loosely round upon the axle g, the teeth of these two wheels e, and f, taking into each other, and also into the teeth of the upper wheel h, fixed on the end of the barrel b. At the reverse end of the machine there is affixed to each of the axles d, and g, a toothed wheel, exactly corresponding with e, and f, and the teeth of which likewise take into each other. It will hence be perceived, that on depressing or raising the lever c, the axle d, will be made to turn with a reciprocating action, and through the intervention of the toothed wheels last described, fixed at the further ends of the axles d, and g, both those axles will be made to turn simultaneously.

Upon each of the axles d, and g, there is also affixed a ratchet wheel i, and k, and palls or clicks 1, 1, 1, 1, which hang upon pivots set in the rims of the loose wheels e, and f, take into the teeth of these ratchet wheels. Now, on the lever c, being depressed, the axle g, and with it the ratchet wheel i, will be made to turn part of a rotation, as shewn by the arrow, and the teeth of this ratchet wheel taking hold of the clicks or palls, attached to the loose wheel f, drag that loose wheel round with it, and cause the upper wheel h, on the end of the barrel b, to turn also, and hence to wind upon the barrel the rope m, to which the weight intended to be raised is supposed to be appended. On raising the lever c, the wheels will of course turn in reverse directions, the ratchet wheel k, the teeth of which before slipped over the ends of the palls, affixed to the rims of the loose wheel e, will now take hold of the palls, and drag the wheel e, round with it, and cause the wheel h, again to turn, and thus to con

tinue winding up the rope m, by which the weight is raised.

Hence, by the continued reciprocating action of the lever c, the barrel winds up the rope and raises the heavy body.- [Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, January, 1829.]

To THOMAS SPINNEY, of Cheltenham, in the county of Gloucester, gas engineer, for his invention of cercertain improvements in apparatus for manufacturing gas for illumination.—[Sealed 2d June, 1831.]

THESE improvements in manufacturing gas for illumination, consist in the adaptation of a valve to the ascension pipe leading from the retort or brick oven in which the gas is generated. The object of this valve is to supersede the employment of an hydraulic main, and thereby to take off the pressure to which the gas has hitherto been subject in passing through the hydraulic main. The advantages attendant upon thus removing the pressure are two-fold; firstly, a considerable increased durability of the retort or oven; and secondly, a much larger quantity of gas obtained from whatever material may be used for the production of gas for illumination.

In order to render these improvements in the manufac ture of gas evident, drawings exhibiting the construction and mode of adapting the valve to the ascension pipe, employed for the above purpose, are appended to the Specification.

Plate XI. fig. 1, is a front view of a brick oven to be used as a retort for generating gas; a, is the mouth of the oven; b, the fire door; c, the ascension pipe; d, d, d, sight holes for examining and cleaning the flues; e, is the valve-box, placed upon the ascension pipe; fig. 2, is a

side view of the valve detached from the ascension pipe, and upon a larger scale; figs. 3 and 4, are vertical sections of the same; f, is the lower pipe through which the gas passes from the ascension pipe into the valve or box; g, is the lateral pipe by which the gas proceeds to the purifiers; h, is the cylindrical cap or cover, which is made to move up and down by means of its rod passing through a stuffing box; i, i, i, is a reservoir of water, tar, or any other liquid, in the lower part of the valve-box, into which the cylindrical cap or cover h, descends for the purpose of shutting off the passage of the gas. In fig. 3, the cap or cover h, is raised, which allows the gas to pass freely from the generator to the purifying vessels and gas-holder; fig. 4, shews the cap or cover dropped down into the reservoir i, i, which effectually shuts off all communication between the gas-holder and the retort or oven.

The Specification concludes by saying, I have exhibited in the drawing accompanying this Specification, such a form and construction of valve as fully answers the above purpose; but I do not intend to confine myself to that particular form or construction, as my invention consists in the adaption of a valve, of any suitable construction, to the ascension pipe of a gas retort, oven, or generator, for the purposes of superseding the necessity of the hydraulic main hitherto used.—[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, August, 1831.]

Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Berry.

TO JOHN JOHNSON ISAAC, of Star-street, Edgware Road, in the county of Middlesex, engineer, for his invention of improvements in propelling vessels, boats, and other floating bodies.-[Sealed 5th July, 1828.] THE Patentee proposes by this invention, to propel vessels without subjecting the water on which they float to

any considerable degree of agitation, to render such vessels much more buoyant than those of the ordinary construction to prevent their rolling or heeling when in a rough sea, and so to inclose the propelling machinery, that it shall be less liable to accident than in the usually exposed situations of the paddle wheels at the sides of ships.

In order to effect those objects, the stern part of the vessel is to be elongated; that is, the sides are to be continued for some distance beyond the ordinary stern, for the purpose of constructing a compartment capable of containing the propelling wheel; which compartment is to have an open channel at the fore end, for the admission of the water, and also an opening at the hinder part, for its discharge.

Plate VIII. fig. 12, is a longitudinal section of a vessel, a, a, being the elongation at its stern; b, is a false bottom or partition forming the under part of the compartment; c, is the channel through which the water passes into the compartment, and d, is the opening at which it is to escape; e, is the paddle wheel, formed by an air-tight drum, with float boards or radial paddles fixed round it. The ends or pivots of the axle of this propelling wheel turn in long grooves or slots in the sides of the compartment, in order that the wheel may be raised or lowered according to the draft of the vessel, so as to dip a certain depth only into the water, however little or much water the vessel may draw; and this contrivance will allow of the wheel being drawn up altogether out of the water, in the event of the vessel being propelled by sails alone.

In order that this wheel may be uniformly turned by the impelling power of the engine within, it is proposed to drive it by chains passed over spur wheels upon its axle instead of toothed gear, as in ordinary steam vessels.

The compartment, a, a, being closed on the sides, it is considered, that the agitation of the water caused by the rotary action of the paddles will be restrained, and that it will flow out behind in a smooth current; to assist which, a wheel f, with many arms, is placed within the compartment near to the paddle, for the purpose of breaking the surf of the tail water, thereby enable the propelling wheel to be employed on canals.

It is also considered, that when steam vessels are exposed to very rough sea, the elongation at the stern and the enclosure of the paddle wheel within the compartment will prevent the vessel from heeling or laying to, and cause it to pass through comparatively still water; and the contrivance for raising the wheel will allow of its axle being raised or depressed on one side if necessary, so as to revolve parallel to the surface of the water, however much the vessel may incline from an erect position.

It is further stated, that the propelling wheel being formed of a hollow drum, which is made perfectly watertight, that drum will constitute an air vessel, to assist in case of need in rendering the vessel buoyant; and that buoyancy may be aided by filling all the vacant parts of the vessel, such as the recesses between the timbers and under the gunwales with small air vessels, cork or any other light or floating material; and the sides of the compartment a, may be packed with such soft or flexible materials as shall resist external force, in order to protect the propelling machinery from gun-shots or other destructive weapons.

The Patentee acknowledges that the separate parts above described are not new, but he states that his claim of combination and arrangement, and consequently of beneficial effect resulting from their exclusive appropriation to which this patent entitles him, consists in the follow