98 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



color passes through the pervious part, and is thus applied and printed on 

 the paper or other surface required. 



Instead of applying the ink or color to the back of the pervious material, 

 the design in that material may be placed on a pad containing a reservoir of 

 ink or color, by which the ink or color is supplied by pressing it on such 

 pad ; from which it passes through the pervious parts of the material con- 

 stituting the design, to the paper or substance placed on the face of the 

 printing surface to receive the impression. 



IMPROVEMENT IN PRINTING PRESSES. 



An apparatus has recently been patented by M. Y. Beach, Esq., proprie- 

 tor of the N. Y. Sun, for turning the sheet in printing newspapers, and 

 printing it upon the second side before it leaves the press. The invention, as 

 now used, is attached to one of Hoe's Cylinder Presses. 



In its operation there is no checking or reversing the ordinary movements 

 of the press. A double or twin set of fingers, which shut against each other, 

 are so arranged as to grasp the back or tail end of the sheet before it leaves 

 the printing cylinder, and after the first impression is taken. The sheet, 

 thus held fast while the cylinder continues to revolve, is drawn in again for 

 the second impression, and thus the feeding the sheet by hand the second 

 time, or fifty per cent, of the labor now required is saved, and, practically, 

 the sheet is printed on both sides at once two forms instead of one being 

 placed upon the press. 



RENDERING FABRICS FIREPROOF. 



An English patented discovery, by Mr. Maugham, has for its object an im- 

 provement in the preparation or manufacture of starch, and consists in pre- 

 paring starch which shall have the property of rendering the fabrics to which 

 it may be applied incapable of transmitting flame or fire. For this purpose, 

 the starch having been manufactured, is saturated or mixed with phosphate 

 of ammonia, and a small quantity of muriate of ammonia. The starch is 

 afterwards dried or prepared, to render it suitable for the market. 



Afcer the water is decanted off at the end of the process usually practised 

 for making starch, and before the starch is dried, the phosphate of ammonia 

 is incorporated therewith, in the proportion of 480 grains to one ounce of 

 the moist starch. The starch is then to be dried in the usual manner, when 

 it will be fit for the market, and is to be mixed with water and applied to the 

 fabric in the usual way. Or, after the starch has been made by any of the 

 usual methods, and has become dry, phosphate of ammonia is added, in the 

 proportion of GOO grains of the salt to one ounce of starch, and the ingre- 

 dients are then ground together. The starch is now ready for use, and may 

 be mixed with the usual quantity of water, and applied to linen or other 

 fabrics in the ordinary way. It is, however, to be observed that the fabrics 

 should not be thoroughly dried and then sprinkled with water, after the man- 

 ner generally adopted by laundresses, before ironing, but the fabrics should 

 be partially dried, and then rolled tight in a dry cloth, and allowed to re- 

 main some time before ironing ; and to prevent the iron from sticking, a little 



