1821.] 



New Patents and Mechaniea-t Inventions. 



447 



The council have received a commii- 

 uication fiom t'aptaiii Basil Hall, ex- 

 pressing his readiness to attend to any 

 instructions on subjects wherein he 

 might he of service to the science of 

 astronomy, in his intended voyage to 

 the South seas. 



Captain Hall was requested (and the 

 same cannot he too strongly pressed on 

 any future voyager, or settler in distant 

 tlimafes, favourably situated for such 

 inquiries:) namely, to make regular 

 observations on the titles^ in favourable 

 situations for cletenuiniug their theory. 



The islands in the Pacific and South 

 Atlantic oceans, if we may trust the 

 accounts of voyagers, are mere vertical 

 shafts, or insulated columns, sliootino- 

 at once from the very bottom of the 

 oceiin, without shoals, or any gradual 

 declivity. Round these, the tides must 

 rise and fall with perfect uniformity: 

 and it is exceedingly probable that, in 

 these cases, a much shorter series of 

 observations would be requisite for 

 framing accurate results : and that 

 even those of a single month, in mo- 

 derately calm weather, miglit have 

 considerable value in the present im- 

 proved state of the theory. The 

 situation of the Gallapagos islands, on 

 which {'aptain Hall will piobably 



the system of Satuni is that of all others 

 which proves the absurdity of any prin- 

 ciple ofatfractiou, and most decisively fn- 

 <licatcs that balanced motion or equal mo- 

 menta are the causes of the state of equi- 

 librium in which we find Saturn, his rings 

 and satellites. 



spend some time (it being one of the 

 stations at which he proposes to swing 

 the invariable pendulum,) possesses 

 peculiarities which entitle it to notice, 

 although it does not satisfy all the con- 

 ditions. It is immediately under the 

 equator : and should he be there about 

 the time of the e(juinox, the very ver- 

 tex of the aqueous spheroid, which 

 will then pass over the spot, may be 

 made the subject of his observations. 

 These islands, likewise present another 

 remarkable peculiarity of siitiation ; 

 for, they stand ^^'ithin a very few de- 

 grees of the point where the magnetic* 

 intersects the terrestrial equator. U 

 is Iherefore desirable that observations 

 should be made with a view to ascer- 

 tain the accuracy of tiiis conclusion. 

 It may also be remarked, that it is near 

 this spot that the magnetic equator is 

 supposed to deviate in(o the serpentine 

 form, as mentioned by the same emi- 

 nent writer. 



One of the objects of this society 

 being an examination of the heavens 

 in minute detail, the council have like- 

 wise frequently discussed this subject, 

 but without being able to agree on a 

 plan, proper to be recommended for 

 the adoption of the incnibers. They 

 consider it, however, a subject of so 

 much importance, that they will early 

 resume it : for, until every remarkable 

 star in the heavens is recorded, and its 

 place assigned in the catalogue, it is 

 vain to pretend to an accurate know- 

 ledge of the true system of the uui- 

 ve rse. 



NEW PATENTS AND MECHANICAL INVENTIONS. 



fiqjorterfAff Charlbs Blunt, I>ra«jAt,vmo« of Machinery , and London Agent to Patentees 

 and l/te Authors of Inventions who desire to secure them by Patent. 



To Samuel Fletcher, of tfalsaU, degree, by the .action of a power or 



Staffordshire, for Improvements on 



Saddles, Saddle-straps, Saddle-girths, 



<tnd Saddle-cloths, by the application 



of Materials hitherto unused for that 



purpose. 



t^B^llE object proposed in this patent 



.1 is, to render saddle-girths elastic 



by the additicni of springs; which is 



effected by attaching one end of the 



usual strap (o a « orni-s))ring; the worm 



is contracted when the girth is tightly 



buckled ; but when the body of (he 



liorse contracts, the elasticity of the 



spring keeps the saddle linuly secured 



to the horse's back. 



The worm-spring is formed and tem- 

 pered so as to allow the strap to which 

 ii is attached to draw out >:; « shi.^U 



/ 



weight equal to twenty-five or thirty 

 pounds, and its resistance is such, thsit 

 not le;s than fifty or sixty pounds so 

 suspended. Mill closely compress it. 



The spring and other parts being 

 properly formed and connected, an 

 outer strap is stitched over the whole, 

 leaving room for the motion of the 

 inner strap, as the force exerted upon 

 (he girth may require its elongation or 

 eonlraction. 



To William Acraman, the i/omiger, 

 and Damkl Ackaman, of Bristol, 

 for certain improvements in the Pro- 

 cess of forming the Materials for mn- 

 nufacturiny Chains and Chain Cables. 

 The object of this invention, is to 

 'jonstiuct the links of a chain, so that 

 ■ it 



