32 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[JA^afARV, 



3. Description of a proposed Improrcmenf in Railway Switches. By Mr. 

 NicoLL, Arbroath. These snitches are placed on iron chairs so constructed 

 as to move along with the switch, whereby the motion of the switch is not 

 prevented by its getting jammed with dust or rubbish ; and the chairs, from 

 their peculiar form, push aside the dust and clear a way for the switch. Mr. 

 NicoU also gives a description of the apparatus for opening and closing the 

 switch, so as to prevent accidents by the motion of them by unauthorised 

 persons. 



4. A Railway Alarum Communicator. By Mr. Moffat. The object is 

 accomplished by a tube sunk in the roof of each carriage, and to connect 

 these are tubes of India rubber with screws. Inside the tube is a wire, and 

 attached to it inside of each compartment of the carriage are bell-pulls or 

 knobs. At each guard's seat are bells and knockers, and the same at the 

 driver's, fixed near the engine. A passenger wishing to give a signal, pulls 

 the knob, by which means the whole bells are rung. The tube can also act 

 as a speaking-trumpet, mouth-pieces being inserted in each compartment, 

 and the same to the guards and drivers — so that a passenger having rung 

 the bell, communicates to the guard and driver, &c., his reason for so doing. 



5. Description and Drawiny of an Alarum Rein for Railway Trains. By 

 Mr. M'CoLL. The rein is attached to a whistle valve on the engine, and ex- 

 tends along the whole train on the locked side ; so that any person, by 

 pulling the rein, opens the whistle, and informs the driver that something is 

 ■wrong. 



Dec. 13.— G. Buchanan, Esq., F.R.S.E., President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were made : — 



1. Description of the Overarch Suspension Bridge. By Mr. Milne. 

 This bridge is so constructed that the roadway runs under the arch, and is 

 connected to it by suspending rods, which are so disposed that a large por- 

 tion of the arch sustains a small portion of the roadway, thus enabling the 

 bridge to bear a concentration of weight at any point. The main rods of 

 the arch lean against each other at the centre (where the key-stone of a 

 stone bridge is situated), giving mutual support, which is continued towards 

 each end of the arch by circular extenders, enlarging as they approach the 

 piers. The pressure of the main rods against each other is tlius turned to 

 the utmost advantage, and gives the greatest stability possible ; and from 

 this construction the lee-side will resist a gale of wind with the full power 

 of the arch. The model is twenty inches in length, on the scale of ten feet 

 to an inch. The entire weight of iron is six ounces, and it safely bears a 

 load of 561b. — nearly 150 times its own weight. 



2. Supplementary Explanations of an improved Railway Break. By J. 

 Stewart Hepburx, Esq. This is an improvement of break submitted by 

 the inventor to the Society last session. It consisted of a rubber block of 

 wood attached to railway carriages by a moveable fiame-work ; and applied, 

 not to the wheel, like the common break, but to the rail, by a gradual pres- 

 sure capable of being increased to such a degree, on an emergency of danger, 

 as to raise the hiud wheels from the rail. 



3. Improvements in Railways. By Mr. John Crane. The first improve- 

 ment is for locomotive engines to ascend or descend steep inclines. It con- 

 sists in laying along the incline a toothed rail, outside of the common rail, 

 and keying on additional wheels with teeth on the shaft of the driving 

 wheels of the engine, outside of the bearing vilieels, and working in the 

 toothed rails, and the teeth of which are to work in the teeth of the rail; 

 thus pulling on the train. — The second improveuKnt consists in making the 

 wheels with double flanges, one on the outside of the rails, as well as the 

 tisual one within them. Thus the wheels would be less liable to go off the 

 rails. — The third improvement consists in laying the rails on longitudinal 

 sleepers, connected together by cross sleepers, and forming a series of strong 

 square frames. — The fourth improvement is for a break. Instead of pres- 

 sing against the wheels, and thereby retarding them by friction, and eventu- 

 ally locking them, the break falls down at once between the wheel and the 

 rail, inserting itself between them like a wedge, and thereby locks the 

 wheels, and, at the same time, ruhs upon the rail. Four weiigcs are required 

 for ordinary carriages, one pair at each end ; each pair of wedges is con- 

 nected by a bar of wrought-iron, in the centre of which a chain is fastened, 

 which can be raised by the guard, and fastened by passing one of the links 

 over a hook. When the chain is detached from the hook or button,. the 

 break, by its own weight, and guided by a rod attachad to the carriage, falls 

 under the wheels and prevents them revolving. The guiding rod to have its 

 centre of motion eccentric to that of the wheel, and that centre to be a pin 

 fixed on the axle frame of the carriage, a little above it, so that the wedges 

 when raised may be clear of the wheels. 



NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



Rmlwuy Precautions.— 'Mr. AFyndham Harding, in a letter to the In- 

 stitution of Mechanical Engineers, recommends, as the most simple and 

 best method of forming a communication between the guards and engine- 

 drivers, " That the guards should have the means of readily getting along 

 every train, whether a passenger or a goods train, to the enginemao. 

 This (he observes) was the original idea in narrow-gauge trains, for the 

 means are afforded of getting from one carriage to another, but the idea 

 has been imperfectly carried out, inasmuch as a horse-box or a luggage 

 van afford no facilities for getting past Ibera. Nothing is easier than to 



remedy this by holdfasts and a narrow foothold. In the case of flat trucks 

 loaded with such goods as cotton, uprights at the four corners, and a rope 

 from one upright to the other, would afford a hold for the guard, and 

 would also, at the same time, tend to steady the load. In the vehicles 

 which travel in passenger trains even such an addition as this would not 

 be necessary. On the broad-gauge lines connected with the Great 

 Western Railway, there is generally no facility afforded for getting along 

 the train, but such facilities can with equal ease be afforded in broad- 

 gauge trains as on narrow by trifling additions to the vehicles." Mr. 

 Harding caused additions with this object to be made to the broad-gauge 

 carriages ou the Bristol and Gloucester Railway when he had the control 

 of that line. 



Commissions of Sewers. — The old commissions for Westminster, Hol- 

 born and Finsbury, Tower Hamlets, and for the Kent and Surrey dis- 

 tricts, were all in one week superseded, and a new commission, consisting 

 of the following, were nominated for nil the districts, on the 6th ult. : — 

 Lord Ebrington, Lord Ashley, Ur. Buckland, Mr. Hume, M.P., Hon. F. 

 Byng, Dr. Arnott, Dr. S. Smith, Mr. R. A. Slaney, M.P., Sir J. Clark, 

 Rev. \V. Stone, Professor Owen, Sir H. De La Beche, Mr. J. Bidnell, 

 Mr. J. Bullar, Mr. W. J. Broderip, Mr. K. L. Jones, Mr. J. Leslie, and 

 Mr. E. Chadwick. — Mr. L. C. Hertslet, Clerk of the Westminster divi- 

 sion, and Mr. Staples, Clerk of the Holborn and Finsbury division, were 

 appointed clerks of those districts provisionally ; and Messrs. Phillips and 

 Roe were appointed surveyors provisionally, and Mr. Austin consulting- 

 surveyor. 



Brussels Lace. — M. Blanchet gave an account of the serious conse- 

 quences resulting from the process of whiteniug Brussels lace to the 

 persons employed in it. In this process the carbonate of lead is used ; 

 and a large jrortion of it is carried into the atmosphere, where it is in- 

 haled, and thus produces a serious affection of the intestines. It is also 

 very injurious to the sight and to the hearing. 



LIST OF NEAV PATENTS. 



GRANTED IN ENGLAND FROM NOVEMBER 30, TO DECEMBER 22, 1847. 



Six Months allowed for Enrolment, unless otherwise expressed. 



William Betts and George William Jacob, of Wflarf-road, City-road, for "Improvements 

 in the manulacture of capsules, and in the appliealron of certain descriptions of surfaces." 

 —Sealed Nov. .10. 



William Eaton, of Camberwell, engineer, for " Improvements in machinery for twisting^ 

 cotton or other tibrous substances." — Dec. I. 



Gustavus Bloenck, ot Wellington-street, Strand, D.LL., for** certain Improvements in 

 clocks and time-keepers." — Dec. 1. 



Thomas Chandler, of Stockton, Wiltshire, for " Improvements in machinery for apply- 

 ing liquid manui-e." — Dec. 1. 



Frederick William Mowbray, of Leicester, paper dealer, for " Improvements in ma- 

 chinery for the manufacture of looped fabrics." — Dec. 1. 



Samuel Neuington, of Frant, Sussex, M.D., for " Improvements in dibbling or solving 

 seeds." — Sealed Dec. 7. 



John Scoffern, of Upper Holloway, M.B., for ** Improvements in the manufacture and 

 refining of sugar." — Dec. 7. 



John Britten, of Birmingham, m.^chinist, for " certain Improvements in apparatus for 

 cooking, preparing, and containing human food and drinks, and in opening and closing 

 oven doors, parts of which improvements are applicable to other similar purposes." — 

 Dec. 7. 



James Smith Torrop, of Edinburgh, newspaper proprietor, for *' Improved machinery 

 for time signals." — Dec. 7. 



William Dakin, of 1, St. Paul's Church-yard, for *' Improvements in cleaning and 

 washing colfee, in the apparatus and machinery to be used therein, and also in the appa- 

 ratus for making infusions and decoctions of cotTee." (Communication.) — Dec. 7. 



James Sweetinan Eitfe, Esq., of 4'->, Lombard. street. City, for " Improvements in the 

 manufacture of astronomical and other clocks, chronometers, and watches." — Dec. 7. 



John Hackett, of Leicester, for ** Improvements in the manufacture of pill-boxes." — 

 Dec. 7. 



David William Wire, of 11, St. Swithin's-lane, London, gentleman, for " an Improved 

 manufacture of candles and other like articles used for affording lights." (A communica- 

 tion.) — Dec. lo. 



Henry Winter, of Webridge-gardens, Bark. place, Bayswater, Middlesex, for " Im- 

 provements in the manufacture of rope, cord, line, aud twine." (A communication.) — 

 Dec. 15. 



George Ambroise Michant, of Epieds, France, but now of New Bond-street, Middksax, 

 gentleman, for " Improvements in the production aud application of heat, and in the 

 maimfacture of coke." — Dec. 15. 



AVilliam Rlallbv, of Tredegar-square, lilile-end, gentleman, and Thomas Webb, of 

 Mare-street, Hackney, gentleman, for '* certain Improvements in the manufacture of 

 spirits from grain or other saccharine matters, and in the apparatus to be used tlierein." 

 —Dec. l.'i. 



William Westbrooke Squires, of 3, Rue Chaveau la Garde, Paris, RI.D., for a mode or 

 modes of producing a vacuum, which mode or modes may be applied to pneumatic, hyd- 

 raulic, and hydrostatic apparatus, and to machinery for obtaining motive power." — 

 Dec. 18. 



Richard Wrighton, of Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor.square, Rliddlesex, for "Im- 

 provements in apparatus to be applied to railway carriages and engines." — Dec. 22. 



Charles Andre Felix Rochaz, of Paris, for " certain Improvements in treating zinc ores, 

 and in manufacturing oxide of zinc." — Dec. 22. 



Pierie Augustus Puis, gentleman, of Paris, for ' Improvements in apparatus for raising 

 and lowering heavy bodies in mines." (Communication.) — Dec. 22. 



Henry F. Baker, of Boston, Uniteil States of America, for " a certain new and usefu 

 inil)rovement iu steam-boiler furnaces." — Dec. 22. 



Richard Baird, of Dundee, Scotland, for *' A new or improved method of communica- 

 tion between the guards, engine-diivers, and other servants in charge of trains of car- 

 riages aud waggons on railways, and also between the passengers and engine-drivers, and 

 other servants in charge of such trains." — Dec. 22. 



Robert Stamp, of Chelsea, Middlesex, hatter, for " Improvements in the manufacture 

 of fabrics to be used for covering hats, caps, aud bonnets, which fabrics may be used for 

 other articles of wearing apparel." — Dec. 22. 



Charles William Siemens, of Manchester, engineer, for " Improvements in engines to 

 be worked by steam and other fluids." — Dec. 22. 



