REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MANUFACTURES, &C. 15 



valve seat having steam passages leading diagonally to the steam 

 ports. The vertical valves are kept at a fixed distance apart by 

 two horizontal studs, whose length is precisely the interval 

 between the face of the valve-seats, and whose centres are on a 

 line drawn lengthwise through the middle of each valve. The 

 steam enters the cylinder from both sides of the studs, and the 

 exhaust passes through the valves and into one exhaust passage. 



The inventor claims that his valve is well adapted to engines of 

 great power in which very large valves are necessarily employed. He 

 further claims that the studs in his arrangement prevent any great 

 wear of the valves on the seat, but should this occur the studs are 

 to be lessened in length so that the valves will just touch their 

 seats. The inventor further states that he intends to construct 

 these valves, studs and valve-seats of homogeneous metal, thereby 

 preventing an unequal expansion of parts by heat. 



A very serious query is, whether, in case the valves are slightly 

 loosened by wear the steam will not all escape through one 

 valve, thus making the other valve do all the work, and that 

 under the whole pressure of the steam. Another questionable 

 point is the actual wear of the valve-seat by making a permanent 

 connection between the valves and balanciuff their foces. Were 

 the pressure of steam the same in every part of the apparatus, this 

 provision would be ample. 



The actual value of the new valve can only be determined by 

 practical use. Your committee deem it worthy of trial, and will 

 be glad to learn that the inventor has obviated the objections now 

 made. 



Eespectfully submitted, 



JOHN D. WARD, 

 JOSEPH DIXON, 

 SAMUEL D. TILLMAN, 



New Yokk, February 1th, 1867. 



The Amsden Hydrostatic Scale. 



The Committee on Manufactures, Science and Art, to which was 

 referred Amsden's Hydrostatic Scale, report : 



That they examined the model and heard the explanations pre- 

 sented, and are of opinion that although the indications of the 

 apparatus are correct so long as the conditions remain the same, 



