"casher-box;" then to the "nose-hole;" and lastly to the annealing arch, or kiln."

The patentee does not confine himself to the details of the apparatus used, as above described; provided the peculiar character of the invention be retained. He claims, Firstly,-the mode of operating in the manufacture of crown-glass described in respect to fig 1. Secondly, the mode of operating in the manufacture of crown-glass described in respect to fig. 4.--Inrolled February, 1845.

Lond. Jour. Arts and Sci.

Specification of a Patent granted to TпoмAS HEATON, County of Lancaster, for his invention of certain improvements in hydraulic machinery, which are also applicable to raising other liquids. [Sealed 15th August, 1844.]

This invention applies particularly to hydraulic machinery, such as pumps or engines, employed for raising or forcing water from mines, pits, &c.; but it is equally applicable, in principle, to manufacturing and domestic purposes, and especially for ships' uses, fireextinguishing engines, and similar purposes, where water or other fluids are required to be displaced.

The first feature of novelty consists in the application of a hollow ram, or plunger, which may be of an equal area with the working barrel, either more or less, engaged either in connexion with a common, or the improved, bucket, hereafter described, in place of the ordinary pump-rod, or connecting-rod. This application of a hollow ram, or plunger, to pumps, or other hydraulic machinery, for raising and forcing water and other fluids, is for the purpose of displacing a considerable quantity of the volume of fluid above the bucket, as the bucket descends; and by thus removing the weight of fluid above the bucket, greatly economizing the power required, and reducing the strain upon the working machinery of the primary moving power. It will also be evident, that as the object of this ram is to displace a large quantity of water, a wooden ram, of a similar diameter, might be adapted in lieu thereof.

Secondly, these improvements in hydraulic machinery consist in the novel application, or employment, of a double set of valves to the clacks and buckets of pumps, for certain useful purposes here. after described. And thirdly, the invention consists in a particular method of packing either the bucket, the working-barrel, or other parts of pumps, by the novel application of a material now well known as "Jeffery's marine glue;" the use of which for such purposes is particularly advantageous, whether it be employed alone, or combined with filings of brass or other metal, layers of leather, or other substances.

Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of the working parts of a pump, in connexion with pump-trees, above and below, and supposed to be employed for raising water from a mine, well, cistern, or other reservoir; fig. 2 is a similar sectional view, but exhibiting some modifications in the internal arrangement; fig. 3 is a transverse section, taken through the pump, at the line A, B, in fig. 1, showing a plan view of the top pair of valves of the bucket and the stuffing box; and

fig. 4 is a similar view, taken through the line C, D, shewing the bottom pair of valves of the bucket. a, a, is the working-barrel of the pump; b, b, the bucket; and c, c, c, the pump-trees, extending upwards and downwards from the working-barrel; d, d, is the hollow ram, which extends upwards from the bucket, (in place of the ordinary connecting-rod) to the top of the pump-trees; the upper end of this ram being closed, a cylindrical air-vessel, occupying a very considerable portion of the area above the bucket, is formed, and a corresponding volume and weight of fluid is consequently displaced. It will be observed, that the bucket, b, b, is furnished with two sets of valves, or bucket-lids, e, e, and f,f, so that, should one of the valves be prevented from closing by a piece of wood, a stone, or any other substance, (which is very liable to be the case in working from a bad bottom,) the other valve may close, and raise the water, while the down stroke of the bucket will be sure to clear away the impediment. The clack-piece, g, g, is also furnished with two sets of valves, or lids, h, h, and i, i, for the same purpose; which clack and bucket-lids VOL. X, 3RD SERIES-No. 3.-SEPTEMBER, 1845.

15

may either be hung upon hinges, as shewn in the drawing, or be made to rise and fall separately upon spindles or slides. It will be observed, that doors or plates are provided, for the purpose of readily obtaining access to both the buckets and the clacks; thus admitting of their being cleaned or put in order, as occasion may require. k,k, are the bucket-doors, and 7, 1, the clack-doors.

The peculiar method of packing hydraulic machinery is represented in two separate modifications, at figs. 1 and 2; that in the former being enclosed by a glandular ring, in the concentric groove, m, m, m, (the pump-barrel thus completely surrounding the bucket, which, in this case, is lengthened, to allow of such mode of packing;) and that in fig. 2 being shewn in a reverse position, or placed in the groove, n, n, turned in the bucket, and thus forming the packing between it and the working-barrel. In both instances the spaces between the grooves, m and n, are to be tightly packed, either in the common way or with "Jeffery's marine glue." This composition, the patentee states, will be found most efficient for such purposes; it consists of caoutchouc dissolved in conjunction with shellac, and is highly elastic, and quite impervious to the passage of water.-[Inrolled February, 1845.]

Ibid.

Specification of a Patent granted to WILLIAM HENRY BARLOW, of Leicester, for improvements in the construction of keys, wedges, or fastenings, for engineering purposes.-[Sealed 6th March, 1844.]

The novelty of this invention consists in substituting, in place of solid metal, or wooden, wedges, or keys, now employed for engineering purposes, a peculiar construction of fastening, made of hollow metal, by which means a degree of elasticity is obtained, together with lightness and strength.

Fig 1.

2.

1.

3.

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and end views of a railway chair, shewing the rail fixed in its seat by means of the hollow wedge. a, is the chair; b, the rail; and c, the hollow wedge (made of wrought iron) which is driven between the rail and the chair. This wedge is made into a perfect tube, by welding its parallel edges together, and, if thought necessary, one side of the tube may be flattened to fit the side of the rail. The patentee, although he prefers the wedges, or keys, to be welded, (a less thickness of metal being in that case required to give the necessary strength and elasticity,) states that they may be employed without welding, but that the edges should abut against each other.

Another mode of constructing hollow wedges, or keys, for securing

the rails of railways, is shewn at c, figs. 3 and 4: the wedge in this case is similar to a link of a chain.

5.

Hollow wedges formed like a tube are also employed for securing the chairs to their sleepers, as represented at d, d, figs. 1 and 2: tubes, either welded or not, may be used for this purpose, as shewn at fig. 5. The patentee states that, although he has shewn the exact form of wedges, keys, or fastenings, which he has used, he does not confine himself to these particular forms; but he claims the mode of making keys, wedges, or fastenings, for securing railway bars in the chairs, and securing railway chairs to the sleepers, or blocks, and for other engineering purposes, by forming them of hollow metal, as above described.-[Inrolled September, 1844.]

Ibid.

Specification of a Patent granted to FREDERICK RANSOME, of Ipswich, for improvements in the manufacture of artificial stone for grinding and other purposes.-[Sealed 22d October, 1844.]

This invention consists, firstly, in manufacturing artificial stone, by cementing broken or pulverized stone, sand, or earthy or metallic matters, with a solution of silica; and secondly, in subjecting the artificial stone, formed in this manner, to hydraulic or other mechanical pressure, in moulds.

The solution of silica, or siliceous cement, is made, by preference, in the following manner; but the patentee does not confine himself to this mode of preparing it:-100 lbs. of crystalized carbonate of soda are dissolved in 50 gallons of water, and the soda is rendered caustic by the addition of lime; or, instead of carbonate of soda, 50 lbs. of carbonate of potash are dissolved in the requisite quantity of water, and the potash rendered caustic, as above mentioned. The caustic alkaline solution is reduced, by heat, to 20 or 25 gallons; it is then put into an iron boiler, or digester, with 100 lbs. of finely broken flints, or other siliceous substance, and the mixture is heated, during ten or twelve hours, up to a pressure of about 60 lbs. to the square inch, (being frequently stirred during that period ;) after which it is removed from the digester, and passed through a sieve, to separate any undissolved stone from it. The cement is now ready for use; or may be brought to any required consistence by the admixture of sand, or finely powdered flints; or it may be thinned by the addition of water.

Mill-stones are made, according to this invention, by mixing together one part of siliceous cement, one part of powdered flint, or powdered pipe-clay, and three or four parts of fragments of burr, or other suitable stone; this compound is subjected to mechanical pressure, in iron moulds, and, after being removed therefrom, is allowed to dry, at the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere, for twentyfour hours; it is then placed in an oven, or drying-room, where the temperature is gradually raised to that of boiling water, and the stone

is thus effectually dried. When artificial stone, for other purposes, is to be manufactured, a mixture is made of granite, common sand, or fragments of any siliceous or other hard stone or substance, with from one-fourth to one-sixth of the siliceous cement; and it is treated in the same way as that above described.

By reducing the stone or other material to very fine particles, previous to adding the siliceous cement thereto, more or less fluid mixtures may be produced, for coating walls or other surfaces.

The patentee claims, Firstly, the mode of manufacturing artificial stone, for grinding or other purposes, by cementing broken or pulverized stone, sand, or earthy or metallic matters, with a solution of silica. And, Secondly, subjecting artificial stone, produced by the aid of a solution of silica with broken or pulverized stone, sand, or earthy or metallic matters, to hydraulic or other mechanical pressure, in moulds. [Inrolled April, 1845.]

MECHANICS, PHYSICS, AND CHEMISTRY.

Ibid.

On the Construction and Proper Proportions of Boilers for the Generation of Steam. By ANDREW MURRAY, Assoc. Inst. C. E.

(Read at a meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers.)

This paper commences by investigating the quantity of air chemically required for the perfect combustion of a given quantity of coal, of the quality commonly used for steam purposes. The amount of air to each pound of coal is stated to be 150.35 cubic feet, of which 44.64 cubic feet are required for the various carburetted hydrogen gases given off, and 105.71 for the solid carbon. The practical utility, however, of this knowledge, is much impaired by the circumstance that combustion ceases even in pure oxygen, and much more in air, before the whole of the oxygen present has entered into the new chemical combinations required. It is also known, that carbonic acid gas exerts a positive influence in checking combustion, as a candle will not burn in a mixture composed of four measures of air and one measure of carbonic acid gas. Large quantities of this gas being generated by the combustion of the solid carbon on the grate, and being necessarily mechanically mixed with the inflammable gases as they rise, the quantity of air required for their subsequent combustion must, on this account, be increased to a very large extent. whole of the air thus supplied in excess, must be heated to a very high temperature, before any combustion can take place, and the loss of the heat thus absorbed must be taken into account in calculating the ultimate economy of igniting these gases.

The

The form of furnace now in general use, in which the fuel is spread over a large surface of fire-bar, has not been subject, in so far as ef fects the supply of air through the bars, to much alteration, amongst the many patents and proposals which have been made for the more complete combustion of coal. The point most open to change in the common furnace, is the width between the bars; and as it is desira