184.8.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



303 



so as to effect the required change of the piston, and with it the 

 main slide-valve, thereby actuating the hammer, and also for the 

 purpose of obtaining the lapse of the required interval of time 

 for the fall of the hammer. — Fifthly, the ajiplication of a latch- 

 lever motion to the moving of the small slide-valve in one direc- 

 tion. — Sixthly, the combination of the latch lever-motion with the 

 arm, and other parts connected therewith, by which motion is also 

 transmitted to the valve, in the reverse direction, instead of em- 

 ploying the small cylinder for that purpose.— Seventhly, the ap- 

 plication of the screw, and parts connected therewith, for the 

 purpose of regulating the height to which the hammer is elevated. 

 — And, lastly, they claim the moving of the main slide-valve, 

 direct from the piston, and also without the intervention of the 

 main slide. 



DECORATIVE ARTS. 



Miss Elizabeth Wallace, of Laurel-lodge, Cheltenham, spins- 

 ter, for "■ Improvements in facing, figuring, designating, decorating, 

 planning, and otherwise fitting up houses and buildings, parts of which 

 are applicable to articles of furniture." — Granted February 28; 

 Enrolled August 28, 18+8. 



The improvements in the decorative arts patented by Miss 

 Wallace are divided in the specification into ten kinds, though 

 the distinguishing feature in the invention is the production of 

 the effects of marble, malachite, &c., by casting tablets of plaster 

 of Paris on to glass, the glass or plaster being coloured or deco- 

 rated to give the required effect. These tablets are intended to 

 be applied both externally and internally, the internal decorations 

 being of course more ornamental than the tablets used to imitate 

 marble, &c., on the exteriors, and they are to be fixed to the walls 

 by cement and long copper nails. Among other parts of the inven- 

 tion is a mode of producing the appearance of gold without employ- 

 ing any metal, and it is thus described : — " To make a flat tablet of 

 this description, I take a plate of figured yellow glass (the nearer 

 the colour of gold the better) ; to tlic back' of this I attach a plate 

 of plain yellow glass silvered ; and I unite the two plates of glass 

 by cementing them at the edges with gutta percha, or any other 

 suitable cement. The result of the combination is, that the 

 figured parts of the upper glass exhibit the appearance of 

 deadened or frosted gold, with a groundwork of burnished gold, 

 or vice versa. Sometimes I substitute for the front plate of figured 

 yellow glass, a plate of white glass, figured or ground (the whole 

 of it, or parts only) ; and sometimes I also disi)ense with the 

 second sheet of glass altogether, and apply the silvering at once 

 to the back of the figured or ground front plate." 



In another part of the specification is described the following 

 process for giving additional brilliancy to painted glass : — " As 

 regards stained, or painted, or other figured glass — I take a sheet 

 of plain white glass, give it a coating of gum, then sprinkle over 

 it a quantity of what are known in the glass trade by the name of 

 'frostings,' which are readily laid hold of by the gum; and theglass 

 thus prepared I attach to the stained, or painted, or other figured 

 glass on the inside, or that side which is next to the interior of the 

 house or building, by means of gutta percha solution, or some other 

 suitable cement, applied to the edges. The frostings have on the 

 inside the effect of giving a beautiful lustre to all the lighter 

 parts of the design on the stained, or painted, or other figured 

 glass, without impairing in the least the strength of tone of the 

 <larker or coloured portions; while they impart to the glass, when 

 viewed from the outside, much the same effect as if a flood of 

 light were streaming through from within." 



In all the other different modes proposed for decorating houses 

 by the patentee, the plan of giving a glass surface is adopted so as 

 to produce the effect of a most brilliant polish, and at the same 

 time to serve as a protection against damp and atmospheric cor- 

 rosion. 



ECONOMY OF FUEL IN STEAM-FURNACES. 



Felix Douche, of Rouen, France, merchant, for " certain means, 

 processes, and apparatus used for saving and applging the lost heat in 

 general, and sometimes direct heat, to many useful purposes." (A com- 

 munication.) — Granted February 10 ; Enrolled August 10, 184'8. 



This invention relates, first, to an improvement in the feeding ap- 

 paratus for supplying the feed-water to steam-boilers, and is con- 

 structed as follows. A number of tubes or pipes are placed in a ver- 

 tical position within a cylindrical vessel, the ends of the tubes being 

 secured to two chambers, one at each of the ends of the tubes, the 



interior of the tubes forming a communication between the cham- 

 bers, which have no communication with the exterior of the tubes ; 

 there are two communicating pi])es from the cylindrical vessel, 

 one at the top and the other at the bottom ; there are also pipes 

 of communication from the two chambers. The upper pipe of 

 the cylindrical vessel communicates with the boiler, and the lower 

 with the feed-pumj) ; thus the supply of feed-water will jiass 

 through the cylindrical vessel amongst the tubes, and take 

 up the heat given off by the waste steam, which is passed 

 through the tubes and chambers for that purpose. The second 

 improvement consists of a slight modification of the above, for 

 the purpose of heating air by passing steam or fire through the 

 tubes, the air being in contact with the exterior of the tubes ; 

 the patentee gives this apparatus the name of serifor or caloridor. 

 The third improvement relates to a stretching apparatus for 

 stretching the tissues or fabrics as manufactured by machinery. 

 The fourth improvement consists in allowing the waste steam to 

 flow through a pipe into a large square receiver, where it is con- 

 densed. The fifth im])rovement consists in the application to 

 external surfaces, for the purpose of retaining the heat therein, of 

 envelopes or wrappers. 



TURN-TABLES. 



William Thoeold, of Norwich, engineer, for " Improvements in 

 turn-tables." — Granted January 13; Enrolled July 13, 1818. 



This specification is very voluminous, as the patentee claims 

 eleven different improvements in the construction of turn- tables. 

 The first relates to an improved centre-pin, which improvement 

 consists in forming on it a projecting flange or collar, the upper sur- 

 face of which is an incline or snail piece on which the centre of the 

 table rests. The upper part of the pin has a ratchet-wheel attached, 

 which is level with the surface of the table, and fitted with a click 

 or pall attached to the table, which prevents it turning round 

 without the table, while, at the same time, the ratchet and pin may 

 be turned round by inserting a spanner in two holes in the upper 

 side of the ratchet, the incline plane at the lower end raising the 

 table when such elevation is required. Secondly, the patentee 

 claims a mode of constructing the centre squares of the top frame, 

 having the rails laid thereon, and independent of the other part 

 of the frame-work. Thirdly, different modes of constructing and 

 arranging the working rollers that form the support of the circum- 

 ference of the turn-tables. Fourthly, a metliod of diverting the dust, 

 rain, and all extraneous matters, and also for clearing away such 

 extraneous matters from the circumference. Fifthly, a mode of 

 constructing turn-tables without centre-pins, and, consequently, 

 without the usual parts connected with centre-pins and other 

 bearings. For this purpose he employs beams or girders of a 

 stronger description than usual, for supporting the rails and plat- 

 forms of tables of a corresponding size. These girders being 

 attached at each end to the upper bearing-surface of the circum- 

 ference, which is supported on rollers as usual from the under 

 surface. The axes of these rollers instead of being attached to a 

 separate frame revolving round the centre-pin, have their axes 

 placed between two concentric belts or rings, which maintain the 

 position of the rollers in a circle equal to the diameter of the bearing- 

 surfaces. The under bearing-surface has its inner circumference 

 rendered truly circular, and forms a surface on which horizontal 

 guides or friction-rollers travel. These rollers are supported from 

 axes pendent from the under-side of the table, and consequently 

 maintain the position of the table concentric with the bearing-sur- 

 faces. The sixth improvement consists in a mode of constructing 

 the top frame in several divisions or compartments, and of various 

 kinds of material. The seventh claim is for the exclusive privilege 

 of casting the bearings and all working parts of turn-tables on 

 chills, the same never having been heretofore practised. Eighthly, 

 the method of constructing single-line tables in such a manner as 

 to render them more economical than such tables have hitherto 

 been. Ninthly, the constructing larger kinds of turn-tables, with 

 moveable joints in the beams or girders which support the rails ; 

 also for the more perfect mode of stopping such tables at the proper 

 point for effecting a junction with the line of rails. Tenthly, a 

 method of constructing the larger kinds of turn-tables, so that tlw 

 power of a locomotive can be applied to the turning of such table 

 when it is loaded with the engine and its tender, and when they 

 require reversing on the line of rails. Lastly, the patentee claims 

 a method of raising and locking the centre of turn-tables, when 

 they require to be turned. 



