112 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



rus being dissolved, he adds 1 to 2 ounces of oil, preferably castor, 

 oil, varying the quantity according to the nature of the oil and the 

 resultant tenacity or flexibility required. After all the ingredi- 

 ents are well incorporated, the inventor adds thereto chloride of 

 sulphur, in the proportion of from 10 to 15 parts of liquid chlo- 

 ride of sulphur to every hundred parts of oil, agitates quickly, 

 and shapes into the form required, either by moulding, cutting, 

 pressing, or drawing. 



A very ingenious automatic device for Flushing Seivers has been 

 produced by a London inventor. In this device, the flood-gate 

 is hinged, opening upward and outward upon the release of a 

 hook bolt by the buoyant power of a large copper float. Many 

 lives have been lost through the action of poisonous gases, in 

 flushing sewers, which flushing this simple device does whenever 

 it is required. The rush of accumulated water swings the gate 

 outward, and also carries off accumulations of sewage. As 

 soon as the flood current subsides, the gate swings back to its 

 original position, and is automatically locked. 



A machine for Hackling Long Vegetable fibres, such as aloe, 

 manilla, hemp, etc. s consists of a drum, revolving on a horizontal 

 axis, and armed with teeth or spikes pointed at the end, and 

 having sharp, annular edges in front, or at the front and back. 

 This drum is of such a size that the fibre upon the machine shall 

 not be able to lap more than about half way round it. This is 

 an English invention. 



A French invention, in the same line as the above, is a machine 

 for Combing Flax. Two endless chains, consisting of flat links, 

 are caused to travel together over flat-sided pulleys, and disposed 

 one above the other; the two adjoining or opposing suri'aces of 

 the two chains being held in contact with each other by passing 

 between guides. These surfaces form nippers for holding the tufts 

 of fibres while being combed or straightened, and serve to carry 

 them along, at the same time, to a receiving-trough, wherein 

 each tuft is deposited in succession, the one overlapping slightly 

 the other. The bottom of the receiving-trough conststs of an 

 endless travelling band, which continuously conveys away the 

 combed tufts in the form of a ribbon or sliver. A vibrating arm, 

 worked by a crank and provided with a cross-head or rake, serves 

 to take each tuft as it is released from the nippers, and draw it 

 into the receiving-trough. 



A Swedish inventor has patented a process for making Artifi- 

 cial Leather. He takes leather wastes, leather cuttings, leather 

 shavings, or other small bits of leather, either new or old, and 

 reduces them to a kind of fibrous pulp, by hand labor, or by a 

 machine or mill (either by grinding, pounding, cutting, rasping, 

 carding, or grating) ; if old waste is used it should first be cleaned 

 thoroughly. This matter or pulp is then kneaded with India- 

 rubber, which is rendered fluid, or dissolved in oils or spirits, and 

 treated with ammonia. He prefers to dissolve the India-rubber 

 in oil of turpentine. To effect this, the inventor cuts the India- 

 rubber into pieces and mixes it with the oil, after which he 

 lets it remain quiet in a closed vessel until it is dissolved. When the 



