MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 79 



and compactness. This receiving compressing box has its bottom, top, 

 and sides, composed of endless belts, and it is of such a size as to hold 

 the plugs under pressure while confined for about a half an hour, 

 during which time the plugs lose their elasticity, and always retain 

 their form after they are discharged. This machine presses about 20 

 plugs per minute, and the receiving compressing box contains a great 

 many plugs, as it is somewhat long. When full, as one pressed plug 

 is thrust in by the lever, another is discharged, ready to be packed up, 

 and so on continually. 



INDIA RUBBER WASHING MACHINE. 



The nature of this invention by E. L. Evans, of Hartford, Conn., 

 consists in constructing two rubbers, which are secured on arms 

 suspended from two standards ; one of the rubbers is secured to the 

 lower end of one arm, while the other is suspended to a similar arm 

 secured to the main one, by a hinge, which allows the rubbers to be 

 drawn together or forced apart by the operator, at pleasure. The 

 rubbers spoken of, act so as to rub the cloth to be washed between 

 them and fluted wash-boards placed under them, one of which is 

 stationary and the other movable sliding being moved by a treadle 

 operated by the foot, to draw the cloth through regularly, to present 

 new surfaces to be rubbed. The movable rubbers are of prepared 

 India rubber, and are made to be of a nature like the human hand 

 something like a cushion, whereby the cloths are well rubbed, with 

 as little injury as possible to their texture. Scientific American. 



MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, IN NEW YORK. 



The manufacture of umbrellas and parasols in the city of New 

 York is chiefly confined to seven different firms, who by the aid of 

 machinery manufacture annually about $1,500,000 worth. One of the 

 largest firms employs 325 persons, including 250 girls. During a con- 

 siderable part of the year, from 1,200 to 1,500 umbrellas and parasols 

 are turned out daily, and $75,000 worth of silks and ginghams are 

 sometimes consumed in the course of three months. There are in au 

 umbrella 112 different parts, and before being perfected the umbrella 

 passes through nearly as many hands. The average wages received 

 by the sewers of umbrellas is $4 per week. 



RICHARDSON'S ATMOSPHERIC TELEGRAPH. 



This arrangement brought forward during the past season and 

 exhibited in model by Mr. J. S. Richardson, of Boston, is constructed 

 as follows : The apparatus consists of a tube connecting the places 

 between which communication is to be maintained, in which a sort of 

 piston called " the plunger " is fitted with a loose leather packing. 

 The matter to be sent is enclosed in a bag attached behind this plun- 

 ger. Its propulsion is secured by the pressure of the atmosphere of 

 ordinary density behind it, that in front being rarified by means of an 

 air pump, producing a partial vacuum. As the air is exhausted from 



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