General Notices. 



54/ 



purposes of evaporation, it is only necessary to raise two ledges on their outer 

 edges. Mr, Weekes has taken out a patent for his improvement, but we 

 hope he will soon muke some arrangement by which his broad tube 

 whether set on edge or kept flat, will be generally adopted as the going 

 pipe by the numerous persons throughout the country now heatin"- hot- 

 houses by hot water. 



Mr. Weekes is a simple harmless man, not very likely, we fear, to make 

 the most of his invention. We trust, however, that the numerous trades- 

 men to whom he shows and explains it, will act as honourably to him as 

 they would wish to be done by, if in his circumstances. It is not uncom- 

 mon with rich manufacturers in Birmingham and Sheffield, when they find 

 a patent taken out by a poor one, for what they consider a good thing, 

 to infringe it under various pretences, and risk the consequences, well 

 knowing the expenses of the law, even when the law-suit is gained; but 

 when a man like Mr. Weekes has hit upon a thing tha^s really entitled to 

 a patent, that patent, however much it might be liable to be technically 

 infringed, ought to be held sacred. This should be a point of honour 

 among commercial men, and we know it is, in corresponding cases, amonw 

 the respectable part of the London booksellers and other tradesmen. On 

 the other hand, patentees ought to be liberal, and this we have counselled 

 Mr. Weekes to be. — Cond. 



Siebe's Rotatory Garden Engine and Ptanj). — This machinist has made 

 a very great improvement on garden engines, and has also produced a 

 description of forcing pump, and a lifting or common pump, which offer 

 very considerable advantages. The garden engine will be found a great deal 

 more easily worked than the most improved modification of those in common 

 use. The motion is rotator}', by a handle, as in turning a coffee-mill . The 

 machine being entirely made of metal, without leather or other fibrous 

 material, no changes of temperature, or of moisture in the air, will put it 

 out of order when not in use. The stream of water thrown out being con- 

 tinuous, a greater quantity is delivered in a shorter time. On the whole, 

 we think it an excellent improvement. Our attention was first directed to 

 it by Mr. Nash, head flower-gardener to Lord Farnborough at Bromley 

 Hill ; and we soon after went to see the 

 machine operate at the manufactory, 145. 

 High Holborn, and were amply gratified. A 

 pump, also, on a rotatory principle, was in- 

 vented some years ago by Mr. Joseph Eve; 

 but this engine (7?g. H 1.) had two cylinders, 

 whereas Mr. Siebe's has only one, composed 

 of four wings. In Eve's engine two cylin- 

 ders (rt 6), working into each other, raised ; 

 the water from the well or other supply by a 

 tube (c), and delivered it by another tube (rf). 

 It was stated in the Quarterly Journal of , 

 Science for January, 1827, to have great advan- 

 tages ; but we believe it has never come much 

 into use. Siebe's engine we consider to be a 

 great improvement on it, and we shall prove 

 this to be the case, in next Number, by en- 

 gravings. In the mean time, we counsel every 

 reader not to purchase a hydraulic engine, or a pump of any kind luJiatever, 

 before calling, or sending some competent person, to see Mr. Siebe's in- 

 vention. Mr. Siebe being a foreigner, not knowing a great deal of the 

 ways of the English world, has neglected to do himself that justice by 

 publicity which we hope in some measure to do. — Cond. 



Downe's Self-acting Water-Closet. — This machine is to be seen in the 

 same shop with Siebe's garden engine, and we can pronounce it with con- 

 VOL. V No. 22. N N 



