1848.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



171 



provements are — Firstly, the mode of compressing or shingling by 

 means of a compresser acting in combination with two rollers, and 

 producing therefrom a bloom. Secondly, in the use of cheeks, be- 

 tween which the bloom is formed, having s])rings at their backs for 

 the purpose of setting and keepingthe ends of the blooms square and 

 of proper shape; these cheeks act in combination with the cam- 

 formed compresser and rollers. A third improvement consists of 

 an arrangement of apparatus for feeding the shingling-apparatus 

 with balls to be shingled, and for discharging the bloom when suf- 

 ficiently compressed and shingled. These combined imju-ovements 

 are represented in the aniie.xed sectional elevation. A, the cast-iron 

 frame of the machine, securely fastened to the bed-plate B ; 



within the upper part of the frame are sliding blocks, C, C, form- 

 ng bearings for the shaft I), upon which is mounted and pro])erly 



secured the cam-shaped compresser E, of the peculiar form shown. 



The periphery of the compresser is eccentric to its centre of 



motion, for the purpose of squeezing and compressing the ball of 

 iron between tlie periphery thereof and the roUers F, F ; this ec- 

 centricity of the periphery of the cam-shaped compresser com- 

 mences at the point 1, where it begins to impinge upon the ball of 

 iron submitted to its action, and continues round three-fourtlis of 

 the whole circumference of the compresser to the point 5, in the 

 following manner — namely, from the point I, of the peri])hery, to 

 the point 2, thereon, the eccentricity is very abrupt : the pe- 

 riphery recedes from the centre quickly outwards from the centre 

 of motion for the purpose of more quickly and effectually com- 

 pressing the ball of iron and squeezing out the impurities there- 

 from ; from the point 2, to the point 3, the eccentricity is more 

 gradual ; from the point 3, to the point 4, the eccentricity is still 

 less, the point 4, being at the greatest distance from the centre of 

 the motion ; from the point 4, to the ])oint 5, the eccentricity of 

 the periphery is reversed, that is, it inclines very slightly inwards 

 towards the centre of motion ; the whole space from the point 5, 

 to the point 1, being one-fourth of the whole circumference, is left 

 open and free for the purpose of allowing sufficient time for dis- 

 charging the bloom produced by the last revolution of the com- 

 presser, and for receiving into the machine another ball or loup of 

 iron to be shingled. The periphery of the compresser is also formed 

 with teeth or indentations thereon, for the purpose of more effec- 

 tually entering into the ball or loup of iron and squeezing out the 

 impurities from it ; these teeth or indentations from the point 

 1, on the periphery of the compresser, to the point 2, are very 

 deep, for the purpose of entering more deeply into the ball at the 

 commencement than at any subsequent period of the process ; 

 from the point 2, to the point 4, the teeth gradually become less 

 coarse, being fine at the point at 4 ; from the point 4, to the point 

 5, the periphery is nearly or quite plain. Another advantage at- 

 tending the construction of the periphery of the cam-shaped com- 

 presser, is the turning the ball or loup of iron round upon the 

 lower rollers by means of the grip or hold of the teeth or indenta- 

 tions, the lower rollers F, F, are placed in the position shown 

 below the compresser E, at such a distance therefrom as to suit the 

 size of the ball or loup of iron to be shingled and the size of the 



bloom to be produced ; these rollere F, F, revolve in bearings fixed 

 to the main frame A, of the machine ; they are placed close toge- 

 ther but not in contact ; the perijjheries of these rollers are pro- 

 vided with projections thereon, for tlie purpose of effectually turning 

 the ball or loup of iron round while under operation, and thus 

 subjecting every surface of it to the squeezing action of the com- 

 presser. The rollers F, F, are connected by toothed gearing with 

 the cam-shaped compresser E, so that they revolve in different di- 

 rections, also the peripheries of the rollers and the periphery of 

 the comjjresser must revolve at nearly equal velocities ; there is a 

 mode of adjusting the distance of the compresser E, from the 

 rollers F, F, to suit the quantity of metal in the ball or loup by 

 means of the set screw G, passing through the head of the frame 

 A. For the purpose of setting up the ends of the bloom square 

 and compressing it endways, at the same time that it is compressed 

 by the compresser and the rollers, the patentee employs his second 

 improvement— namely, the spring or yielding cheeks; these 

 cheeks II, H, are^ ])laced one on either side of the compresser E, 

 over the rollers F, F, the compresser in revolving passing between 

 them ; to the back of each of the cheeks are secured two rods or 

 studs passing through holes in the main frame, which thereby 

 serve as guides to them. Around the rods, and bearing stiffly 

 against ^he backs of the cheek, and the inside of the main frame 

 A, are helical springs, for the purpose of pressing the cheeks H, H, 

 towards each other, and thereby pressing and setting up the ends 

 of the bloom of iron when pressed outwards by the action of the 

 compresser ; the outer ends of the rods are provided with washers 

 and pins for the purpose of preventing the springs from pressing 

 the cheeks too near together, and thereby coming in contact with 

 the sides of the compresser E. The front faces of the cheeks 

 (those which act against the ends of the bloom of iron) are of a 

 convex form, somewhat flattened in the middle The feeding- 

 apparatus, whicli constitutes the ])atentee's next improvement, 

 consists of a trough or frame L, attached to the main frame A, in 

 front of the machine in an inclined position : within this trough 

 or frame is placed the plate or frame M, to which are attached the 

 two bars N, N, one on either side ; they move in the guides O, O ; 

 upon the base or frame JM, is placed the baU or loup of metal to be 

 fed into the machine ; the frame JNI is kept back by a balance- 

 weight below the foundation of the machine ; the end of the bars 

 N, N, terminate in the hooked shape shown at N'. The mode of 

 feeding is this : — the ball or loup of metal to be operated upon is 

 thrown upon the bar or frame M, where it remains until the com- 

 presser comes into the position shown in the engraving, that is, 

 when the compressing surface of the compresser is out of action 

 with the rollers, and the open or free space of the compresser from 

 5 to 1, is over the rollers, thereby allowing an opportunity for dis- 

 charging the last-formed bloom, and receiving another ball or loup 

 to be operated upon ; at this moment two pins or studs, projecting 

 from the sides of the compresser, come in contact with the ends 

 N', N', of the bars N, N, which is thereby drawn upwards, and the 

 ball or loup deposited upon the rollers F, F. At the same time 

 also, an arm or crank, fixed upon the compresser-shaft D, outside 

 the main frame, acts upon the bar Q, which is connected by a lever 

 to the discharging-plate R, in such manner that the bloom of iron 

 is discharged from the machine at the back at the same time a 

 fresh ball or loup is fed into it at the front. The discharging- 

 a2)paratus is retained in its proper position during the shingling 

 process, by means of a spring. 



The patentee claims — First, the arrangement of machinery as 

 described, for compressing or shingling puddles, balls, or loups of 

 iron into blooms. Secondly, the spring or yielding cheeks for 

 setting up the ends of the blooms, as also the cam-shaped com- 

 presser and rollers as described. Thirdly, the feeding and dis- 

 charging apparatus. 



A CENTRE-VENT REACTION WATER-WHEEL, 



Communicated to the Franklin Institute, U. S., by Z. Parkee, of 



Philadelphia. 



In my notes of the experiments on the centre-vent reaction 

 wheel at Troy, I mentioned the fact of the small amount of water 

 discharged, in proportion to the aperture, and of its disposition to 

 uniformity under all velocities of the wheel. [See Journal, ante 



p. no.] 



I might have stated that in all cases in which the vanes of the 

 wheel direct the water nearly tangentially to the inner circle of the 

 annular rim of such wheels, the quantity discharged (under cir- 

 cumstan ces of full supply) appears to be about 50 per cent, of the 

 theoretic discharge; and that this proportion appears to be but 



23* 



