the usual way, a number of vessels proportioned to the quantity of liquor to be operated upon. "I then," he 66 says, connect the upper part of these vessels, casks, or cisterns, by means of pipes, to an air-pump, or any kind of blowing apparatus, in such manner as that, when the air-pump is put in operation, it shall draw a current of air through the vessels aforesaid, and deliver it through a refrigeratory apparatus for the purpose of condensing such portion of the liquor as the air may hold in solution, and thus preventing its loss. Instead of this arrangement, I sometimes force a current of atmospheric air into these vessels, casks, or cisterns, near their bottoms, by means of an air-pump, or other blowing apparatus, from whence it passes to their top, in apparent contact with the liquor, and is from thence led off, by means of pipes, through a refrigeratory apparatus, in the same manner, and for the same purpose, as above set forth and described."

STEAM BUG DESTROYER, Jonathan Howlet, North Carolina.-Woe to the bed bugs! should these steam bug destroying machines become as numerous in the United States, as washing, thrashing, and churning machines, of which there seems to be some danger; but what is somewhat curious, they are all alike, and are also all of them similar to such as had been previously described in English journals. As the bugs are doomed to destruction, it might be some consolation to them in their dying agonies, to know that their enemies will not be able to sustain the right which they claim to their "infernal machines" under the patent laws, the great seal to the contrary, notwithstanding.

PUMP GAUGE, J. D. Woodside, Washington. An opening is to be made in the side of a ship's pump, just below the upper band, to receive a small brass box, which may be two inches high, and one and a half wide, and which is to be furnished with a door, to close the opening when the gauge is not in use. A small roller crosses the upper end of the box, and over this passes a tape, graduated into inches and half inches. One end of this tape descends through a casing, nearly to the bottom of the hold, and has a float suspended to it, which will be buoyed up by the water. To the other end of this tape, a counter weight is attached, to take up the slack, by drawing the tape over the roller as the float rises in the water. The patentee says, "What I claim as my improvement, is the vast difference between ascertaining the depth of water in the hold of a vessel by the ordinary sounding rod, and this instrument; that the depth is more accurately ascertained, as the vibration occasioned by the rise and fall of the water, owing to the

motion of the vessel, is at all times perceptible by the graduated tape; therefore, the mean is, the correct depth of water in the vessel."

This claim is very awkwardly expressed, as it is not made for the improved instrument as described, but for the vast difference between the result obtained by it, and by the ordinary means used for the same purpose; and this is claiming the effect of a machine, instead of the machine itself.

PLATFORM BALANCE FOR Weighing, S. L. Hay, Boston. The platform balance, which is the subject of this patent, is suspended, so far as we know, in a manner different from all those which have preceded it. In this machine there are four levers, which are constructed, and operate, like steelyards, two on each side of the platform, attached to it, and to the frame within which it stands. The fulcrum of each lever is fastened to the frame, one end thereof to the platform, and the other to the transfer rod, by which the motion is to be communicated to the graduated steelyard. The four levers which are attached to the platform, have their fulcra at different distances from their ends; the two on one side differing from the two on the other. In the drawing, the distances, or lengths of the arms in one pair, are as one to ten, whilst in the other they are equal, like a scale beam. This is to cause the platform to descend horizontally, whilst these levers operate upon the transfer beam.

CAST IRON SINK, Zenos Tarbon and Levi Tarbon, New York.-The description of this affair is so very brief, that it would seem impossible to say any thing about it in fewer words than those used by the patentees, which are:-"The sink is thirty inches in length, and twenty inches in width, with a soap dish in one corner, and a hole through the bottom to let off the water; all of which is made of pot metal, and cast whole." We do not admire long-winded specifications, but still, having some portion of curiosity, and some sense of justice, we should like to know how to mete to each of these joint inventorshow much to Zenos and how much to Levi -his due portion of the mental labour expended in inventing the discovery by them set forth. The form of this said sink has nothing new, and is not, therefore, the invention of either; nor is cast-iron, or "pot metal," a new composition of matter.

entitled to the epithet "improved ;" but this is most certainly a very great mistake. We really believe, that it would be much nearer the truth to say that, with double the manual labour, it would throw half the quantity of water of the common fire engine; we are ready to confess, however, that this, though true, would be a libel, as it would be calculated to make an unfair impression; but, most certainly, the friction in this engine will be, at least, twice as great as that of ordinary engines discharging the same quantity of water. There are to be four cylinders, their centres forming a rectangle, and their pistons having rods formed into racks, which take into segment wheels, upon the shaft of the levers that work the pistons. The water, from the four barrels, is to be forced into a common receptacle, furnished with an air vessel, and with two discharge pipes, in order, if necessary, to play two streams at once. It requires no great portion of mechanical knowledge to enable any one to decide, that the rubbing surface of four pistons is much greater than that of two of equal capacity, and of the same length of stroke; that a rack and segment wheel is by no means the best arrangement for working a piston rod; and that the increased number of valves and water-ways must be attended by a considerably increased resistance.

PERCUSSION CANNON LOCK, Enoch Hidden, New York.-The greatest difficulty which has been encountered in the construction of percussion cannon locks, has been the powerful reaction from the vent, by which the hammer has frequently been blown off, and other injurious effects produced. Springs have been devised to throw the hammer out of the way so instantaneously, that the reaction should not effect it, but the success in this point has been but partial. The main object of the present patent is the same, as will be seen by the following claim :

"What I claim as my invention, and for which I ask a patent, is the manner in which I employ the reacting spring, as described under the various modifications thereof, as herein shown, by which the hammer is instantaneously thrown up, after striking the percussion cap directly upon the vent of the

cannon.

PERCUSSION POWDER, Samuel Guthrie, Sackets Harbour." I prepare the percussion powder from any of the materials employed for that purpose, using fulminating mercury, detonating silver, and oxide of tin, or regulus of antimony; chlorate of potash with charcoal, sulphur, sulphuret of antimony, or any mixture of substances capable of inflaming gunpowder, by percussion, forming the same into a paste, and granulating by processes

which are well known; sometimes making the grains of a small size, like those of ordinary gunpowder; at other times, I make them of such size that a single grain suffices for a priming, and is substituted for the copper caps used in fowling-pieces, muskets, &c.; or still larger, so that they may be used for the discharge of ordnance of all descriptions. These grains are so compounded, that they are hard enough to be packed up, and carried about, withont being liable to be crushed by their abrasion against each other, or by any force to which they are ordinarily subjected. These grains are rendered water-proof by coating them with shellac, dissolved in alcohol, or any other resinous varnish. Such powder I have, for some time, been in the habit of manufacturing and vending; but I have recently made an improvement therein, which is as follows. Before the varnish with which the grains are coated is perfectly dry, I cover, or coat, them with some metallic substance; and this I do by taking leaf metal, or any of the metallic powders known under the name of bronze, or bi-sulphuret of tin, or any other metal, or metalline compound; and in these I roll the grains whilst yet tackey with the varnish. The powder thus prepared is not only improved in appearance, but has greater smoothness and durability than before. After thus coating the grains, I sometimes apply another covering of copal, or other water-proof varnish, being governed in this particular by the nature of the powder, and the purpose to which it is to be applied."

SHOEMAKERS' BENCH, Samuel Haynes, Massachusetts.-A long bench is to be made, which may be about three feet high; and from a platform on the floor, a row of standards, or uprights, are to extend up, through this bench, projecting above it to a sufficient height to receive the last in a notch, made for that purpose, on its upper end. These standards are to be about a foot apart, and for one workman there may be ten, or more, of them. Straps are to extend from the lasts, through holes in the bench, their lower ends being attached to treadles near the floor; then, by placing the foot upon a treadle, the strap is strained so as to hold the last firmly down, and by slipping the treadle under a cleat, it becomes fixed. Shoes or boots which are to be wrought upon, are placed on the lasts, and all of them confined in the same position, each in its own standard; this is to enable the workman to pass from one to the other, alternately performing the same operation upon each, and thus avoiding the necessity of a frequent change of tools and position. The patentee says, that, "in this mode, the operator will be able, in a given time, to manufacture and

finish, in a complete, thorough, and workmanlike manner, more than double the number of shoes that he could in the usual mode of manufacturing."

Although there certainly is no great portion of invention in this contrivance, we think that there is sufficient novelty in it to sustain a patent, which will be very valuable, if its utility is equal to, or approaches in amount, that stated by the patentee.

A STEAM-BAKER, Charles F. Wilcox. A steam boiler is to be made by taking two cylinders of iron, one smaller than the other, placing them concentrically, and uniting them by a rim at top and bottom. The space between these cylinders is to contain the water, and the interior cylinder forms a part of the body of the furnace.

"The

space between the two cylinders, for the generating of steam, must be adapted to the size of the apparatus. In one eleven inches in diameter, and seven inches deep, the space may be one inch wide." In an aperture near the top, a tube is inserted to supply water. The boiler is to be placed on a stand, forming an ash pit, with grate bars to support the fuel. On the top of the boiler there is to be a cast-iron dish, or skillet-like vessel, and this is to be furnished with a tin cover, forming, with the dish, an oven, or cooking chamber. On one side of the boiler, at its upper edge, a brass cock is to be inserted, and a tin tube, with suitable joints and elbows, is to conduct the steam from this cock into the oven, or cooking chamber, an opening being left in the tin cover for that purpose.

"The improvement consists in the mode of conveying the steam, and in connecting the steam with the heat from the furnace, in one operation."

This may really be an improvement in the mode of cooking, but we confess that there appears to us to be more of contrivance than of utility about it; we are much mistaken, therefore, if it is destined to find favour with the kitchen comptrollers.

CENTRIPETAL POWER PRESS, Eliphalet S. Scripture,-This press is described as being "upon a new principle," but to us it appears like an old acquaintance, very little altered by time or dress. It is, in fact, a compound lever press, in which the lever that is to make the pressure is to be placed horizontally, and to work upon a pin in a vertical standard, on one side of the frame, its other end working up and down between two vertical standards, where it is acted upon by a second lever, connected to it by links, which operate like the toggle joint. follower, or pressing part, is on the lower side of the first named lever. This press is spoken of as capable, under different modifications, of being applied to a great variety

The

of purposes, among which are mentioned, printing; packing goods, such as cotton, flour, tobacco, hops; extracting oil, and other juices; also, pressing for clothiers, paper-makers, harness-makers, dairymen, &c.; impressing and cutting metals, &c. From the smallness of its range, there are some of these objects to which it could not be advantageously applied; whilst for others to which it is more particularly adapted, it has long since been employed.

A

WATER WHEELS, TO PROPEL ALL KINDS OF MACHINERY, RAIL-ROAD CARS, VESSELS, &c. The construction of this machine is the same with that of some rotary steam-engines which we could point out in the books. circular drum is to be used, the periphery and ends of which are to be perfectly true, and a wheel, with valves, or buckets, is to be made to revolve in this drum; this wheel, and its valves, must fit perfectly tight, but revolve freely between the heads, and the valves are to slide, air tight, but freely, into openings made in the wheel to receive them. A rod connecting two opposite valves passes through the wheel, so that, as one slides into the space prepared for it, the other is protruded. Two blocks, or stops, on opposite sides of the drum, and about one-third of the circumference of the circle apart, touch in one point the periphery of the revolving wheel, and serve to retract or protrude the valves. Water, under a sufficient head, is to be let in, to act upon the valves, or buckets, and is to be discharged at another opening. In rail-road engines, &c., where there is not a sufficient head of water, it is to be pumped up by hand, steam, or otherwise, into a reservoir, and used over and over again. All who know any thing of mechanics, will now be ready to exclaim, "Stop there, we have heard enough;" and as we think so too, we shall add nothing

more.

TIN BAKER, Josiah St. John, New York State. This baker may be made of tin, or other sheet metal, and the form generally given to it is that of an oblong box, with circular ends. In each of these ends, there is a furnace sufficiently large to contain a quart, or more, of charcoal, there being grate bars under the furnaces, made in the usual way. The box between the furnaces constitutes the oven, and boiling is effected in vessels fitted into openings just above each furnace. The dimensions given for an ordinary sized baker, are the following. The body, in which is the oven, two feet in length, by one foot in height and width, with a door on the front side. A circular projection on either end for the furnaces; these projections may be eight inches in length, and nine in height. There is to be a flue from each end, uniting at length in a common pipe. A very good character

is given of this apparatus, by persons who have had it in operation in the city of Washington; it is intended principally for summer use, to which it appears to be admirably well adapted. The quantity of fuel consumed is said to be very small, and, indeed, from the size of the furnaces, this must be the case, much of the effect depending upon the reflecting and non-radiating property of the tin plates.

FORM OF JETS OF WATER EJECTED

THROUGH SMALL ORIFICES.

vena con

Sir, I am sorry that Mr. Baddeley did not read my letter, of the 25th of April, with more care; and I am also sorry, that the statements I there made, relative to the contracted vein, are not believed by him. All the argument he has brought (if argument it can be called), to prove that the ". tracta" has no existence, is, that for 15 years he has been in the constant habit of observing jets issuing from various apertures, urged by different forces, but never met with any one instance of perceptible contraction, till the experiment with the flat-topped cylindrical branch pipe. Whether this amounts to any thing like " proof with a demonstration," I leave your readers to judge.

But though Mr. B. may have for a long a time observed the issuing of jets from different apertures, is it not possible that he may have overlooked the contraction, if any there were, when apparatus of a similar kind to that described at page 6, had been tried before, and the "singular phenomenon" he there describes had escaped observation? And when Mr. Baddeley himself, did not perceive the "contraction" till the men got into full work?

Be that as it may, I can tell him that the "hypothesis" I stated at page 92 is not my own; and if he prefer his own opinion, when it stands opposed to the result of experiments made by the various learned men who have investigated this subject, it certainly would be very useless in me to attempt to change that opinion. When I stated that the jet of water issuing through simple orifices is contracted in a certain degree in proportion to the extent of that orifice," had full and undeniable authority for so doing; though, in fact, I expected it

I

was a circumstance with which almost every one was conversant.

Mr. Baddeley appears partly to have misunderstood me, when I said that "the jet issuing through simple orifices is contracted." By a simple orifice, I meant an orifice not at all connected with a pipe; or an opening, for instance, in the bottom, or sides of the containing vessel, through which the fluid might pass without having a pipe to aid it in its egress; and I repeat again, that "the jet is contracted in a certain degree," which has been proved by Newton, Bossut, and by many others.

The following quotation is from“ Gravesande's Natural Philosophy:"-" The chief cause of this difference is the irregularity of the motion spoken of above, (i. e. the oblique motion of the water in its approach to the hole,) and which, though it be chiefly observed in great holes, yet takes place in all. By this irregularity, the flowing out of the water is hindered more than the velocity is diminished. The base of the column of water is less than the surface of the hole." What, again, can be the meaning of the extract which follows from another excellent work? "The difference between theory and practice is attributable to the contraction of the vein of the fluid in passing through the orifice, in consequence of the different directions which the particles of the fluid take in their approach to it ;" and not exclusively to the "varied velocities of the fluid," which seems to be a "gratuitous interpretation" of Mr. Baddeley's.

But the contracted vein is almost annihilated in passing through a tube : it is only through simple orifices that it takes place; and, as was before stated, "the opening in the brass cap may be considered as an orifice not having any connexion with a pipe," or the cylindri cal pipe may be considered as the containing vessel, and the opening the simple orifice. It was known even in the time of the Romans, that the contraction of the vein depended upon the apertures being formed in thin plates, and if, instead of such orifices, tubes of a certain length were used, the contraction might be avoided.

What appeared to me, on reading Mr. Baddeley's letter, as the most extraordinary" thing, was, that the jet of water did not diminish in size,

till the men got into full work. Since I wrote my former letter, I have procured a fire-engine, and tried the expe.. ment myself; and what appears more "singular" than the "phenomenon" is, that the contraction obtained the very instant the men began work! quite contrary to Mr. B.'s statement: and when, by working the engine as slowly as possible, a jet of not more than 4 feet was observed, the contraction was as visible as when one of 30 feet was produced! I have no doubt the pressure of a column of water 15 feet high, such as was made use of by M. Bossut, would be quite sufficient to produce a jet of more than 4 feet. What, moreover, was the cause of the different sounds produced, when particles of air escaped with the water? In the cylindrical capped pipe, the particles of air were driven with great violence against the under side of the cap, and by that means became separated or broken, and so escaped in separate smaller quantities; whereas, in the taper pipe, they are carried through without ob

struction.

Mr. Baddeley is mistaken in supposing I have been led astray by Bossut's table, inserted in the "Engineer's Pocket Book:" that I have not seen, and if it contains the "tables" from which Mr. Baddeley has drawn his numbers, it is of no consequence who sees it. The theoretical to the real discharge from circular tubes, 1 inch in diameter, under a 1 foot column, is as 1 to 817, and not as 1 to .62133; the ratio of 1 to .62133, obtains in passing through thin plates (similar to the "brass cap"), and not in passing through tubes.

I think Mr. B. may now see that what I stated at page 92 is not an "hypothesis;" and he may also perceive, that by expunging that part of his letter at page 6, which states that the jet of water did not diminish in size till the men got into full work, the " phenomenon" will be divested at once of that singular" and "extraordinary" character which he has ascribed to it.

BRICK-MAKING MACHINES.

Sir, I beg to inform your inquiring correspondent, the brickmaker at Shrewsbury, that when I was at Birmingham this time two years, Mr. John Heaton took me to see some brick-works, which he had established in the neighbourhood of that town.

The marks of his mechanical genius were abundantly evident throughout the works, but I was particularly struck with the plan adopted for tempering the clay. Instead of the customary pugmill, Mr. Heaton had put up a pair of large rollers, which had formerly done duty in his flatting mill; these were driven by a steam-engine, which, besides turning the rollers, raised the clay from the pit whence it was taken, by means of a waggon running upon an inclined plane.

A waggon load of clay being brought to the foot of the incline, it was attached to the chain, and connected with the steam engine by hand gearing; the waggon having been drawn to the top of the plane, it discharged its contents over the rollers, and was then returned empty, to be exchanged for a loaded one, and so on continually.

The tempering of the clay, by this means, was much more perfect than in the best constructed pug-mills, and the crushing of the stones continually kept up an incessant deafening noise. The bricks made of the clay thus prepared, were of a very superior kind, and I think this information cannot be too generally diffused.

I observe that Messrs Ride, Coleman, and Co., Leicester, have, in your last number, supplied the precise information required by your Shrewsbury correspondent, and I doubt not he will find their announcement advantageous to him.

I fully agree with these gentlemen, that where limestones abound, tempering the clay by rolling, is really the best plan that can be adopted; and that even where limestones are not present in such quantities as to render this method absolutely necessary, still, under all circumstances, it is the very best mode of tempering brick-earth hitherto practised.

Yours, &c., WM. BADDELEY. June 24, 1835.