MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 115 



economizes the motive power, and saves trouble on the part of the oper- 

 ator. 



Novel Machinery for Felling Trees. In an arrangement patented by Thomas 

 Burden of Montgomery, Alabama, no saw is used, the cutting being done by 

 means of knives which project horizontally from an upright shaft. Rapid 

 motion is communicated to this shaft by means of cogged gearing ; there is 

 also a connection between the gearing and a screw which feeds the cutters up 

 toward the tree as fast as they enter ; the feeding parts are therefore self- 

 operating. The frame of the machine rests on a four-wheeled truck, so that 

 it may be conveyed about from place to place with facility. The apparatus is 

 firmly attached to the base of the tree by means of a pair of iron spurs ; a hole 

 is bored, the spurs inserted, and then wedged. Scientific American. 



Improved Boring Machine. An improved boring machine recently patented 

 by Messrs. "Wyckoff & Morrison of Elmira, N. Y., consists of an auger, made, 

 externally, in the form of a tube. The cutters are placed just within the 

 periphery of the tube, at its lower end, so that when the latter is revolved a 

 hole is bored and the auger enters the stuff, while the chips rise through its 

 hollow interior. The outside of the tube is furnished with a spiral ledge or 

 screw, which assists the rise and discharge of the chips. It is said that nothing 

 can exceed the facility and accuracy with which pump logs are bored, and 

 other species of work accomplished by the use of this improvement. 



IMPROVED PLANE IKON. 



In this improvement, patented by Horace Harris, Ontario County, N. Y., 

 the cutting iron is placed inside of a thin metallic case, open at both ends. 

 This case, with its cutter, is wedged into the plane in the common manner. 

 The cutter is moved up and down within the case by means of a set screw. 

 The thickness of the shaving is adjusted with the utmost facility ; all that is 

 required being simply to turn the screw. The improvement is cheap, simple, 

 and applicable to the planes in common use. 



IMPROVED BENCH-HOOK. 



Bench-hook is the name given by carpenters to the little spur of iron against 

 which they place one end of the stuff they happen to be planing, to prevent 

 the same from slipping. Some carpenters drive in a nail at the head of their 

 benches, and make it serve as a hook ; others use a hooked spike. In both 

 cases there is more or less trouble to lift the hook and set it to suit different 

 kinds of work. An improvement patented by A. Hotchkin, of Schenevus, 

 N. Y., consists of a small metallic frame, having hi its center a pivoted 

 tongue like the tongue of a buckle ; the frame is let hi and fastened flush 

 with the bench. The tongue serves as the hook, and as it may be instantly 

 elevated or depressed by the finger, it manifestly possesses much advantage 

 over the common hooks in point of convenience. The lower side of the 

 tongue is notched, like a rack, and there is a spring pawl to match the same. 

 This part of the contrivance is to hold the tongue firm hi any desired position. 

 Scientific American. 



