"hydro-extractor." The slivers at this stage are too much consolidated to permit of their undergoing the operation of drawing, and it will be necessary therefore to remove the superabundant twist, which may be effected by conducting them through the last pair of rollers only of a slubbing machine, no drawing action being now required, or through a machine for the purpose provided with only one pair of rollers, the flyer of which is caused to revolve in a direction opposite to that in which the twist had been previously put in, and with velocity proportioned to the amount of twist required to be removed, to reduce the sliver to its original softness; or the flyer may be caused to revolve at a velocity sufficiently high to remove the existing twist entirely and retwist the sliver to the required extent in the opposite direction. The slivers, or slubbings, are then drawn in a roving frame, and subsequently spun into yarns by any of the machines ordinarily employed for that purpose. To obtain party-coloured yarns, the patentee takes two or more coloured slivers according to the required pattern to be produced on the yarn, which he draws down to one roving, and subsequently spins direct; and thus dispenses with the process of doub ling, which according to this method is rendered unnecessary. Grey, or unbleached cotton, or silk, or wool, may be combined with bleached or coloured slubbings or slivers, obtained by this method of procedure, and then spun into threads or yarns.

The patentee does not confine himself to the exact details given, as the cotton may be bleached or dyed after being carded, without undergoing the slubbing operation above mentioned; but he claims, the bleaching, and also the dyeing, colouring or printing of cotton between the operation of carding, and that of spinning.

SAMUEL WALKER, junior, Birmingham, manufacturer. For a certain improvement or certain improvements in the manufacture of metallic tubes. Patent dated March 24, 1851.

The process of manufacture adopted by Mr. Walker, is as follows:-He takes a skelp or plate of metal, bends it to a U form, and then passes it through a pair of suitably grooved rolls, using at the same time a mandril or internal support, by which the skelp is bent up to a tubular form, and one edge caused to overlap the other; he then either subjects the partially-formed tube to a second rolling operation, using also a mandril or internal support as before, so as to compress the overlapping portion of the metal, and produce a bevil of both the meeting edges, or he effects the same object by means of a

draw-bench. The edges of the tube are then soldered, and the operation is completed.

The furnace employed for the latter purpose is one of a peculiar construction, adapted for conducting the flame and heated air over those portions only of the tube to be soldered. For this purpose it is furnished with a chamber behind the bridge, into which the tubes (either singly or several at a time) are introduced through apertures in each side, at such a level as to cause the flame to pass either under or over them on its way to the chimney, according as the junction of the edges of the tube is to be effected by solder applied interiorly and melted down between the abutting edges, or otherwise.

Claims.-1. The bending of skelps or plates of metal into a tube-like form, and the bevelling of the edges of the same by rolling.

2. The construction of a soldering furnace in which the flame and heated air are caused to pass in immediate contact with those parts only to which the solder is to be applied.

PETER ARMAND LECOMTE DE FONTAINEMOREAU, of Paris, and South-street, Finsbury. For certain improvements in mills for grinding wheat and other grain. (A communication.) Patent dated March 24,

1851.

This invention comprehends; firstly, certain mechanical arrangements for placing the motive shaft of mills in a parallel position with respect to the shaft of the millstones, and for working the bolting apparatus conjointly with the mill for grinding; secondly, a system of dressing the surfaces of mill-stones with channels or cuts according to a geometric form and shape, the dimensions of which may be varied; and of constructing the eye, for producing, when combined with the preceding improvement, a continuous circulation and supply of cold air over the said surfaces, and thereby grind. ing corn in a cold state; and thirdly, a new mode of cleansing and desiccating wheat and other grain, by the action of certain apparatus employed in conjunction with the mill for grinding; of which improvements, however, without the aid of drawings, a general idea only can be very readily communicated.

Claims.-1. The arrangements of mechanical parts for placing the motive shaft parallel with the shaft of the mill-stone.

2. The mechanical arrangements for setting conjointly in motion the bolting appa. ratus with the mill for grinding.

3. The radiating or dressing of mill-stone with channels or cuts according to a geome

ric scale and form, and the mechanical arrangements of the eye for producing a continuous current of cold air on the said grinding surfaces.

4. The constructing and arrangement of mechanical parts for setting in motion with one axis only the cleansing apparatus.

THOMAS HILL, of Langside Cottage, Glasgow, Esq. For improvements in wrought iron or malleable iron railway chairs. Patent dated March 24, 1851.

The invention sought to be protected under this patent consists in the construction of railway chairs made from plates of wrought or malleable iron by machinery, by which tongues or lips are punched up of a proper form to embrace and hold securely the rail placed upon them. Chairs of this description may be divided into three prinipal classes, the form, size, and strength f which may be varied to any extent to suit the requirements of railway engineering: these are; first, chairs in which the lips are presented sideways to the rail; second, those in which the rail is held by the edges of the chair; and third, chairs in which one or more of the lips are presented sideways, and the remainder edgeways to the rail: the lips of each of these several varieties may either come close up to the sides of the rails laid upon them, or sufficient space may be left between the rail and the lips of the chair for the introduction of a wedge or key, as may be preferred.

When manufacturing chairs according to this invention, a flat bar of wrought iron should be selected, of a width equal to the length of the chair to be made, and of a thickness of about half an inch, more or less, according to the strength required in the chair. This bar is to be submitted to the action of a pair of dies provided with knives, which clip off a sufficient length of the bar to form the chair and punch up the lips, and also make the requisite holes for the admission of spikes to secure the chair to the sleepers of the line of railway. One of the dies is stationary, whilst the other is caused by suitable mechanical arrangements to move alternately up to and away from the stationary one. The moving die is also provided with a knife by which, in conjunction with the edge of the stationary die, that portion of the bar which is under the action of the dies is severed from the bar. The dies are exact counterparts of the opposite faces of the chair, so that when brought near to each other a space is left between them equal to the thickness of the chair to be formed, and by bringing the dies together the projections of the one enter the corresponding hollows of the other, and

at the same force into them the portion of the plate at that time between the dies, and thus produce a perfect chair. In making such chairs it is in all cases preferred that the bar or plate of iron should be heated preparatory to its entering between the dies, as there is then less risk of fracture, and less power is required to work the machinery. The patentee describes a machine suitable for making chairs of wrought iron according to his invention, but he does not confine himself thereto, as the dies may be attached to any punching machine of the ordinary construction of sufficient size and strength.

Claims.-1. A wrought iron railway chair, the lips of which are formed from that portion of the plate on which the rail is ordinarily supported.

2. A wrought iron railway chair, the lips of which are presented edgewise to the direction in which the rail lays when in place.

GEORGE GUTHRIE, of Appleby, Chamberlain to the Earl of Stair, and residing at Rephad by Stranraer. For improvements in machinery for digging, tilling, or working land. Patent dated March 24, 1851.

The

The machinery which forms the subject of this patent, is intended to facilitate the operations of digging and working land, by the application thereto of steam power. The machine is composed of a strong rectangular wooden framework mounted on four wheels, which are made very wide in the tyre, to prevent their sinking into the ground, and to facilitate the travelling of the machine. The motive power for working the grape movement or digging action is derived from a pair of steam cylinders, supported by the framing, which serve also to supply the power for propelling the machine. diggers are formed with three prongs each, and they may be of such a number, arranged side by side, as to extend across the whole width of the machine. In addition to the downward motion imparted to the grapes by a crank, for the purpose of causing them to enter the ground, they are also acted upon, after they have passed through the first half of the down stroke, by a second crank, by which they are raised to a horizontal position, carrying with them the portion of earth immediately in front and within the scope of their action. As soon as the grapes have arrived in this horizontal position, the shaft on which they are mounted is caused, by means of a slide working on a spiral or screw of coarse pitch cut on that shaft, to make a semi-revolution on its axis, so as to throw off the earth which had been supported on the grapes, which are then returned to

their original position, and carried back ready for operating on a fresh piece of ground, over which the machine will by this time have been moved.

The patentee does not confine himself to the employment of cranks for effecting the movements of the grapes, as other means capable of producing a similar motion approximating closely to that of the spade in handdigging, may be adopted for the purpose; instead also of the above-mentioned arrangement of the grapes, they may be fixed to a revolving shaft, and the earth may be removed from them by causing them in their revolution to come in contact with suitable stops. It may be necessary in some cases, in order to facilitate the action of the grapes, to make a series of cuts in the land previous to the grapes coming into operation; and this may be effected by attaching to the front of the machine a series of circular cutters fixed on a revolving shaft, and brought into action as the machine is propelled forward.

Claims.-1. The general arrangement of the grapes, forks, or spades, for digging and working land.

2. The system or mode of turning the grapes or digging apparatus by a screw and traversing slide.

3. The application and use of guides for giving direction to the grapes.

4. The system or mode of digging or working land by causing the grape or digging apparatus to turn, or partially revolve, when loaded with earth.

MATTHEW HERRING, of Tonbridge-place, sugar-planter. For improvements in the manufacture of sugar and rum, part of which improvements are applicable to evaporation generally. Patent dated March 24, 1851.

1. The Evaporator.-This apparatus consists of a casing of any suitable shape, within which are placed a number of vertical metal plates, joined together so as to leave hollow spaces between them, in which spaces hot air, steam, hot water, or other heating medium circulates. The saccharine juice or fluid to be evaporated is supplied from above, and caused to trickle down the sides of the hot plates and pass into a receiver, from which it is returned, and repeatedly submitted to the evaporative action until concentrated, when (in the case of canejuice) it is conducted away for crystallization. In order to effect the purification of the juice simultaneously with its evaporation, the receiver may be provided with a filtering medium, through which the fluid may be caused to pass before being returned through the evaporating chamber.

2. The Cleanser.-The saccharine matter,

after crystallization, requires to undergo the operation of cleansing, to fit it for subse quent processes. With this view, the crystals are placed in a vessel of any convenient size, provided with a perforated false bottom, and liquor is pumped on them through a pipe furnished with a rose or jet, so as to cause it to be well dispersed over the crystals, and thus effect their purification by attrition. The liquor employed, which may be either cane-juice diluted to about 32° Baumé, or rum, passes off through the false bottom, and is pumped up for further use.

3. The Continuous Still.-This apparatus is constructed on the same principle as the evaporator above described. The wash is caused to traverse heated surfaces, by which the greater portion of the spirit is volatilized; the aqueous particles and the nonvolatilized portion of spirit are subjected to a similar operation until all the spirit has been obtained. The vapours arising from this distillation are condensed in a worm, in the usual manner. The patentee has discovered that the quality of the rum thus produced, and that of rum generally, may be improved by subjection to the action of air, and with this view he causes a current of air to traverse and pass through the rum, and thus produces an improvement in its flavour.

THE SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH BETWEEN DOVER AND CALAIS.

The length of wire-cable provided considerably exceeded the distance in a straight line between Dover and Calais, but, in consequence of a strong gale of wind blowing down Channel while it was being laid down, it took so large a bend to leeward that, when the whole was reeled out, it was found to fall short of the French shore by more than a quarter of a mile. The completion of the line is therefore suspended until an additional piece can be spliced to the cable.

WEEKLY LIST OF NEW ENGLISH PATENTS. William Hodge, of St. Austell, Cornwall, for improvements in the manufacture of glass, china, Octoporcelain, earthenware, and artificial stone. ber 2; six months.

William Henry Ritchie, of Kennington, Surrey, gentleman, for improvements in ornamenting glass. (Being a communication.) October 2; six months.

Thomas Cussons, of Bunhill row, for improvements in ornamenting woven fabrics for bookbinding. October 2; six months.

James Warren, of Montague place, Mile-endread, for improvements applicable to railways and railway carriages, and improvements in paving. October 2; six months.

Leman Baker Pitcher, of Syracuse, New York, America, gentleman, for improvements in apparatus for regulating motive-power engines. October 2 six months.

Dominique Julian, of Sorgues, France, for improvements in extracting the colouring properties of madder, and in rendering useful the water employed in such processes. August 25; six months. George Jordan Firmin, of Lambeth-street, Goodman's-fields, manufacturing chemist, for improvements in the manufacture of oxalate of potass. August 25; six months.

Thomas Wilks Lord, of Leeds, York, flax and tow machine-maker, and George Wilson, director of the flax-works of John Fergus, Esq., M.P, Fife, North Britain, for a machine to open and clean tow and tow waste from flax and hemp, and other similar fibrous substances, and an improved mode of piecing straps and belts for driving machinery,

and a machine for effecting the same. (Being a communication.) August 27; six months.

Richard Fletcher, of Blackdowns Farm, Ebrington, Gloucester, farmer, for an improvement in obtaining motive power. August 29; four months.

Henry Dircks, of Moorgate-street, London, engineer, for improvements in the manufacture of gas. in gas burners, and in apparatus for heating by gas September 1; six months.

Richard Archibald Brooman, of the firm of J. C. Robertson and Co., of 166, Fleet-street, London, Patent Agents, for an improved method of manufacturing screws. (Being a communication.) September 8; six months.

William Mather, and Colin Mather, of Salford, engineers, and Ferdinand Kaselowsky, of Berlin, Prussia, engineer, for improvements for washing, steaming, drying, and finishing cotton, linen, and woollen fabrics. September 5.

David Farrar Bower, of Hunslet, Leeds, York, manufacturing chemist, for certain improvements in preparing, rating, otherwise called rotting, and fermenting flax, line, grasses, and other fibrous vegetable substances. September 8.

William Johnson, of Millbank, Westminster, gentleman, for improvements in apparatus for weighing goods. September 9.

Hely

Islington

Sylphide waterproof gaiter.
Ventilating wind-guard.
Portfolio bracket.

Window flower-pot protector.
Thumb-screw lever-truss.
Knife-cleaner.
Invisible door-spring.

Messrs. Ridley and Edser's Patent Safety Hinge and Burglary Alarm.-Specification — (with engravings)

..........Preparing and Rating Flax, &c. ..Terry and Pile Fabrics... 275 ....Terry Fabrics.. 276

273

Fontainemoreau ..Mills

277

278

Guthrie .............Digging & Tilling Land 278 Herring .......... Evaporating Rum, &c.... 278 Submarine Telegraph between Dover and

261

Mathematical Periodicals. - No. XXVIII.
"The Mathematical Repository." By T. J.
Wilkinson, Esq., F.S.A., &c. ....
Description of M. De Colmar's Arithmometer 266
The Gutta Percha Works....

264

267

Hill

Calais.....

........ 279

Weekly List of New English Patents ............ 279
Monthly List of Scotch Patents..................... 280
Monthly List of Irish Patents..........
Weekly List of Designs for Articles of Utility
Registered

280

280

272

Weekly List of Provisional Registrations

280