vessel will, by the pressure of the quicksilver, become condensed, and be forced through a valve into the pipe e, and thence to the engine. Of course the depressing of the other side of the boat will produce similar effects, and thereby it is proposed to keep the rotary engine in continual motion by the force of the compressed air produced by the rolling and pitching of the boat.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, June, 1834.]

To DANIEL DUNSCOMB BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States of North America, but now residing in Dorset-place, in the parish of St. Marylebone, in the county of Middlesex, in consequence of a communication made to him by Solomon Andrews, residing at Amboy, New Jersey, in the said United States of North America, for an invention of certain improvements in lamps. [Sealed 4th October, 1831.]

THE novelty of this invention consists in an improved combination of parts constituting a lamp, by means of which oil and other materials may be converted into combustible gas, and in that form burnt for the purposes of illumination.

The apparatus employed for effecting this object is shown in Plate X., at fig. 4, which represents a vertical section taken through what may be supposed to be the branch of a lamp. This lamp is supplied with oil from a reservoir by the pipe a, on the fountain principle, or any other convenient method: b, is a stop cock in the pipe a, for the purpose of regulating the supply of oil; c, is a small tube screwed into the pipe a, the upper part of which passes up into the interior of the burner of the lamp; d, is

a small cup at the lower end of the tube c, containing ether or other highly volatile spirit; e, is the gallery of the lamp, supported by the tube c.

On the top of this tube c, another tube f, is placed, the upper part of the tube c, being formed slightly conical in order to hold the tube f, tightly.

This tube f, is formed from a long thin piece of plate copper, not quite parallel, but tapering on the upper edge; it is to be rolled (beginning at the broader end) upon a mandrel; and when that is done, the tube will be formed by the successive thicknesses of plate lapped in a convolute curve, the upper edge of the plate, when so coiled, rising on the outside in a spiral curve.

The burner of this lamp consists of the following parts soldered together, or otherwise attached in close connexion in any convenient manner. The part g, (shown also detached at fig. 5,) is what the Patentee denominates the

turret;" h, is the part denominated the burner, formed as the frustrum of a cone, the sides of which are perforated with minute holes for the purpose of allowing the gas to escape to be ignited; i, is the neck of the lamp supporting the "turret" and burner, but not soldered thereto; the joint is, however, made air-tight, in order to prevent any escape of gas.

be

The reason that the supporting or neck-piece i, is not soldered to the "turret" and burner is, that they may removed occasionally in order to be cleaned, as the holes perforated in the sides of the burner will in time become filled up or clogged.

Having now described the construction of the apparatus, the Patentee proceeds to state in what manner it is put into operation. When the lamp is to be used the cock b, must be opened, and the oil allowed to flow through the pipe a, from whence it is forced up the pipe c, and also up

the copper tubeƒ; and in order to convert the oil into gas, a small quantity of ether, spirits of wine, or other highly volatile spirit, is poured into the cup d, and being ignited, the heat of its combustion volatilises the oil that is rising in the tube c, and converts it into carburetted hydrogen gas; and the expansive force of the gas is such as to cause it to pass rapidly through the holes perforated in the burner; and when so passed, it is ignited by the flame of the spirit in the cup d.

Now, when the gas has been thus ignited, the heat that it gives off will be found sufficient to volatilise the oil as it rises in the tube, and consequently, the ether in the cup d, is of no further use, its object being simply to volatilise the oil in the first instance when lighting the lamp.

It will be seen upon reference to the drawing at fig. 4, that the upper part of the tube c, is slightly contracted within; this is for the purpose of preventing the oil that is forced into the tube f, by the action of the fountain from being returned into the supply pipe by the expansive force of gas.

The Patentee here states, that he does not intend to confine himself to the use of a copper tube f, in the situation herein before described, as he has found a bunch, bundle or brush of copper wires to answer the same purpose. This latter variation of the apparatus is shown in section in the detached view, fig. 6: the " turret," burner, and the neck or supporter being the same as in fig. 4; but instead of the copper tube ƒ, a bunch or brush of copper wires 1, is introduced, and fastened into the top of the tube c, which is constructed at its upper end in the shape of a cup, as seen in the figure, for the purpose of holding the brush of wire.

If it is required to increase the quantity of light emitted, the apparatus should be so arranged that the oil may be volatilised quicker and in greater quantities; and arms

may be made to extend from the sides of the burner, as shown at m, m, in fig. 6.

It should be here observed, that the "turret," the burner, and the neck or supporter, should be made of metal well plated with silver, and brightly polished, as that metal is a good conductor of heat, and will, therefore, volatilise the oil quicker; and also that all the parts should be connected together by hard solder, in order that the solder may not be acted upon prejudicially by the heat of the flame.

The Patentee states in conclusion, that he does not mean or intend to claim as his invention the volatilisation of oil, and converting the same into gas, as before described, nor yet the introduction of the copper tube f, or the brush of copper wires ; but that which he claims as his invention, is the combination of that part denominated the "turret," with the bunch or bundle of copper wire, or the copper tube, for the purpose of volatilising the oil and converting it into inflammable gas, which may be used for the purposes of illumination.-[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, July,

1832.]

To JOSHUA BATES, of Bishopsgale-street Within, in the city of London, Esq., in consequence of a communication made to him by a foreigner residing abroad, for certain improvements in refining and clarifying sugar.-[Sealed 31st January, 1831.]

THE principal feature of this invention is a filter or strainer of peculiar construction, by means of which the liquid syrup may be cleared from the animal charcoal, and other materials that have been mixed with it, for the purpose of de-coloration, or refining the liquor, and destroying the brown colouring matter.

1

In Plate X., fig. 7, represents a cylindrical vessel in perspective. This is the apparatus which forms the subject of the patent, though the drawings accompany ing the specification exhibits the whole of the very extensive series of machinery employed in the preparation and clarification of syrup preparatory to its being crystallised into sugar; but which machinery being of the ordinary kind applied to that purpose, we do not think it necessary to exhibit.

The filtering vessel is formed by two solid discs at the ends, connected together by longitudinal ribs, which give the appearance of an open lantern drum, bound round by hoops; its journals at the ends are to be mounted on suitable standards, and it is to be kept in rotary motion while in use.

Fig. 8, is a transverse section taken through a part of the cylindrical vessel, showing only a few of the ribs for the purpose of explaining the internal construction of the vessel.

The discs a, at the ends, are held together by four longitudinal bars b; and between the end discs are introduced in radial positions, a series of broad ribs c, c, c, and a series of narrow rails d, d, d.

These ribs and rails being so fixed, a filtering cloth or felt of the kind commonly employed for straining or filtering syrups is passed over and under the ribs and rails, as shown at e, e, e, in fig. 8. In this way a series of radial bags f,f,f, are formed in the interior of the cylindrical vessel; the whole is then to be embraced by hoops g, g, g, g, clasped round, which give to the vessel a cylindrical figure, as shown in the perspective representation at fig. 7.

The filtering vessel so constructed is then mounted in suitable standards, so as to enable it to revolve upon its 2 G

VOL. IX.