A plate of iron is attached to the back side of the "throat," or rather the bed on which the bit lies, which receives the screw that secures the cap to the bit, to make a double iron, so that the same screw binds the two irons together and to the stock, the two irons being provided with elongated holes for the screw to pass through to admit of adjustment. And this same plate or block of iron attached to the stock, receives the end of a screw which extends up beyond the upper end of the bit, where the two are connected by a collar, so that by turning the screw, the bit can be set to any degree of cut required.

Claim. "I am aware that a patent has been granted for a plane, in which there is a piece of metal secured to the back part of the throat of the plane, to receive a screw, by which the bite of the bit is regulated. And I am also aware that a screw has been used for drawing cutting tools in and out, at pleasure, to regulate the degree of bite; and therefore I do not claim these devices as my invention. But what I do claim as my invention, and which I desire to secure by letters patent, is the arrangement by which the piece of metal at the back side of the throat receives the screw that secures the cap embracing the bit; and, also, the set screw for the adjustment and moving of the bit; by which arrangement, the said bit can be set without moving the cap, as described."

40. For an improvement in the Mortise Latch for Doors; Wm. Wilson, Northampton, Hampshire county, Mass., November 26.

Claim." Having thus fully made known and described the manner in which I arrange and combine the respective parts of my cylindrical mortise latch, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the manner of retracting the bolt by means of two slides, actuated by means of a toothed pinion-said slides receiving the horns of the bolt, and constituting two racks, formed and operating substantially as set forth."

Each of the two slides moves in opposite directions, and the horns of the bolt are back of a shoulder on the slides, so that the slide that moves backward by the turning of the pinion, which is on the spindle of the knobs, carries the bolt back, whilst the other is at liberty to move forward. By this arrangement, the turning of the knobs in either direction will move the bolt.

41. For an improvement in the Cheese Press; John Martin, Jr., Medina, Medina county, Ohio, November 26.

The piston of this press slides in a frame, the bottom of which, constitutes the bed of the press. The head of the piston is provided with a set of rollers, arranged around the counter, and the top of the frame is provided with a corresponding set. One end of a cord is attached to the head of a piston and passes around the two sets of pulleys, and then through a hole in the piston head to a windlass above. After the cheese has been put under the piston of the press, the windlass is turned sufficiently to suspend the whole press, and by the arrange

ment of the cord to which it is suspended, the weight of the press continues to make pressure on the cheese.

Claim." What I claim as my invention, and which I desire to secure by letters patent, is the before described combination of the block, or frame, of the self-acting press, with the piston, cord, pulleys, and windlass, suspended and operating in the manner and for the purpose set forth."

List of American Patents which issued in the month of December, 1841, with Remarks and Exemplifications. By CHARLES M. KELLER, late Examiner of Patents in the U. S. Patent Office. 1. For improvements in Machinery for Raising Sunken Vessels ; John Custis, Yarmouth, Barnstable county, Mass., December 10. Frames are built on two floats, and these are connected together by means of several truss frames, leaving space enough between the two floats for the reception of the vessel to be raised, and the ends of the truss frames rest on the heads of jack screws. A chain, (or chains,) passes around the body of the vessel, below what constitutes the water line of a vessel, and is then connected with the truss frames by other chains in the manner fully expressed in the following

Claim." I shall claim the peculiar combination of the two truss frames extending between two opposite standards, each having depending chains with links, or hooks, by which, said truss frames may be alternately connected to the vertical chains which are attached to the horizontal chain extending around the vessel, or about the bottom of the same, as above explained, by which arrangement of the apparatus the vessel may be raised by bed screws, as described.

"Also, the combining with said truss frames, the horizontal chain. whose ends are passed through loops, or strong rings, attached to it where it comes in contact with each side of the bow abaft the cutwater, by which disposition of loops upon the chains, the chains can be fitted to vessels of different sizes, and be caused to bind tightly around the bottom, so as not to slip over the same; the whole being arranged, constructed, and operating substantially as above explained. 2. For a machine for Turning or Bending the heel of Scythes, or that part which fits into the Snath; Abel Simonds and A. G. Page, Fitchburg, Worcester county, Massachusetts, December 10. The heel of the scythe is griped between a rest block, attached to the top of a bed plate, and a sliding griping bar operated by a hand lever, arranged below the bed plate, and then that part of the heel which is to be bent, and which extends beyond the griping bar and rest block, is bent by a bending lever jointed to the bed plate, and operated with a toggle joint lever connected with a sliding rack, the teeth of which are thrown into gear with a pinion by the lever which operates the griping bar.

Claim. "Having thus described our invention, we shall claim the combination of the bending lever with the griping bar, and also with

the rest block, and operating the said bending lever, by the combined arrangement of toggles or progressive levers, rack bar and pinion, the whole being arranged substantially as herein set forth."

3. For improvements in machinery for Raising Blocks of Ice from a Pond; Nathaniel J. Wyeth, Cambridge, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, December 10.

In this piece of mechanism there are two gigs, or vertically sliding frames, one for hoisting the blocks of ice from the water and depositing them on to the inclined railway, down which they slide to the other gig, or sliding frame, for letting down the blocks on to a car or sled.

The hoisting gig is provided with balance bars, jointed to the frame of the gig, which correspond with the rails of the railway, and they are so jointed to the frame as to have their greatest length from the fulcrum out towards the railway, so that the weight of the block of ice will preponderate and cause the balance bars to take the inclination of the railway.

Claim. "I shall claim the application to the hoisting gig of the balance bars, constructed and operating substantially as above set forth. Also the combination of the depressing gig with the receiving railway; and the combining of the said depressing gig and receiving railway with the elevating gig; the whole being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially in manner and for the purposes hereinbefore explained."

4. For improvements in machinery for Raising Blocks of Ice from the Water and Depositing them on a railway; Nathaniel J. Wyeth, Cambridge, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, December 10. In this improvement I shall claim, clevating blocks of ice from a lower to a higher level, by means of the sled, in combination with the ascending and descending inclined planes and horizontal rails extending over the descending plane, and which horizontal rails receive the blocks of ice, when the sled passes down the rear plane, the whole being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein above set forth.

Also, that arrangement of machinery or addition to the sled which is herein termed the catch, for the purpose of retaining the blocks of ice over the sled and preventing them from sliding down the inclined plane when they are received upon the slide rails of the planes, the same being constructed substantially as herein before explained.

Also, the method of connecting the inclined and descending planes and horizontal rails with the transportation railway, at any desirable station of the latter, by arrangement of curved slide and guide rails supported on a platform having railway wheels connected to it by which it may be transported from place to place as occasion may require, the whole being constructed and arranged on principles and in manner substantially as described. Also constructing the rail way cars in the manner above set forth, with slide rails arranged on their

bottoms and guide rails on their sides, and connecting those of each car by the hinged ends, each having a small lapping rail upon it, which extends over that in contiguity with it, and by means of which any two cars may be united, whatever ends of the same are brought together, the whole being for the purpose of sliding the blocks throughout the train and leading the same thereon and unloading the same therefrom as herein before described.

Also curving the guide rails and commencing them in rear of the slide rails as described, for the purpose of causing the ice to resume its proper position on the sled to pass up the inclined plane, should the ice by any accident have been forced over the side of one of the runners more than that of the other.

5. For improvements in Machinery and Railway Cars for discharging Blocks of Ice from Cars and depositing them in Store Houses; Nathaniel J. Wyeth, Cambridge, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, December 10.

Claim. "Constructing cars for the transportation of ice, with the elevating lever bars, which discharge the blocks of ice out of the sides of the cars, the said lever bars being elevated by bent levers (or other suitable means,) as described, and combining said lever bars with the slide rails of the cars, and with the tables or platforms arranged by the sides of the cars, and upon which the ice is received when discharged from the cars, the said tables being constructed on the principles herein before mentioned. I also claim the arrangement of the slide rails, so that they may be elevated above the surface of the table, the whole of the above parts claimed being constructed and operating substantially in the manner as I have herein before set forth."

6. For an improvement in Water Wheels; John L. Smith, Salina, Onondaga county, New York, December 10.

Two of these wheels are put on a horizontal shaft, one on each side of the trunk or tunnel through which the water is applied to the wheel, the face towards the tunnel being open for that purpose. The apertures or issues for the water extend from the shaft to the outer rim, which is scolloped for that purpose, and are formed by the forward edge of one bucket, and the back edge of the other, these being placed. diagonally for this purpose. And to the back edge of each of these buckets there is a flanch radial in its length, and parallel with the shaft in the direction of its width, which extends to the inner face of the wheel, or to the floor.

Claim. "What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the mode of constructing the bucket as set forth, namely, by forming it with a flanch on the inner face of the wheel, extending from the hub, or centre, to the circular scolloped rim, and attaching its outer edge to said scolloped rim, all as before described VOL. X. 3RD SERIES.-No. 1.—JULY, 1845.

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7. For an improvement in the Smut Machine for Cleaning Grain; John D. Beers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 10.

A rotating fan is placed in a horizontal cylinder open at each end near the shaft, for the admission of air, and the cylinder is provided with conveyors placed diagonally on the outer surface, and communicating with the inside by means of slots through which the grain is forced by the current of air into them, and at one end they communicate with a semicircular conduit on one of the heads, through which the dust, chaff, &c., is discharged. The grain is fed into the cylinder through an inclined trunk connected with the cylinder by means of a rule, or other joint.

Claim. "What I claim therein as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the manner in which I have arranged and combined the cylinder, the conveyors, and the openings therefrom, into and through the conduit or tubular space on the head of the cylinder, for the purpose herein fully explained and made known. I claim also the manner of feeding the grain into the cylinder, containing the revolving vanes, or beaters; the same being introduced through an inclined trunk or pipe furnished with a rule or other analogous joint so as to give any desired elevation thereto, and so that its inclination may be graduated to the nature of the grain and the velocity of the motion of the fan; and I likewise claim the mode of regulating the winnowing of the grain in its discharge from the cylinder, according to the intensity of the blast produced by the vanes, by means of a discharge tube furnished with a graduating joint, in combination with the vanes; by means of which arrangement, the same blast is inade to winnow the grain, both in the feeding and discharge tube, substantially in the manner herein made known."

8. For an improvement in Carriage Springs; R. B. Brown, Essex, Chittenden county, Vermont, December 14.

At the bottom and on each side of the body of the carriage, there are two helical springs wound on a bar; they are held between permanent blocks, and the end of sliding rods connected with straps attached to each end of a grasshopper spring; and a roller attached to each end of the carriage body frame rests on these straps, so as to render available the force of the grasshopper and the helical springs.

Claim. "What I claim is the arrangement of the helical springs, rods, straps, and rollers, in combination with the grasshopper springs, for the purpose and in the manner described."

9. For an improvement in Tuyeres for Forges; Riverius C. Stiles, and Joseph S. Graves, East Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N.Y., December 14. Two pyramidal tubes project from the top of the wind chest, the space between them being sufficient for the bed of the fire, and the apertures for the discharge of the wind being near the top of the pyramids and in a direction towards each other, so as to concentrate the blast between the two pyramids.

Claim. "What we claim is combining with a wind chest arranged as described, two or more tubes, or two or more apertures inclined towards each other, so as to produce a concentrated blast."