372 



THE CIVIL £>fGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Uecemdeb, 



COUPLING IRONS. 



Damki, Rice Pratt, of AVorccster, United States of America, 

 for " niinhiiiri-i/ fi.r cdinierliiig railway carriages" — Granted April 

 27 ; Enrolled ()ctober 27, IHl's. 



This specification describes a mode of constructing what the 

 patentee calls a self-actinf>: couplinff, for connecting together 

 railway carriages. The object to be effected by tlie use of it is, 

 that when two carriages to which it is ap]ilied are brought toge- 

 ther, end to end, tlie coupling connects and secures itself. It is 

 formed of a nuneable and peculiarly-shaped hook, to which the 

 draw-link attaches itself. It is represented in the annexed figure, 



A, A', being the two ends of the draw-bars of two separate car- 

 riages. The ends of the draw-bars are provided with the concave 

 huffing-plate B, B' ; a hole passes through the centre of each 

 buffing-plate and into the ends of the draw-bars, through which 

 ])asses tlie coupling-link C. Hooks D, D', are jointed to the draiv- 

 bars by fulcrum-jiins, upon which the hooks are at liberty to move. 

 They are of the peculiar shape shown, and the ends so formed, 

 that when the end of the coupling-link passes through the hole 

 into the interior of the draw-bar, it comes against the end hook 

 D", and thereby raises it sufficiently to allow the end of the 

 coupling-link to pass under the end of it; so soon, however, as 

 the end of the link has thus passed, it comes in contact with the 

 other end D" of the hook, and depresses it, and also the other 

 end D" takes hold of the link and retains it fast. The hook may 

 he released by means of a cord or chain attached to the upper 

 part of it being pulled, and thereby raised. The patentee states, 

 his improvement may be attached to all descriptions of railway 

 carriages, whether with or without spring-buffers and draw-rods ; 

 and he claims the hook, in conjunction with the coupling-link 

 described. — Patent Journal. 



THE BLAST OF ENGINE- FURNACES. 



Eugene Ablon, of Panton-street, Haymarket, for '■'■improvements 



in increasing the draft in chimneys of locomotive and other engines." 



Granted April 8 ; Enrolled October 8, 1818. 



The object of this invention is to produce a steady draft or 

 blast in the furnaces of locomotive engines more particularly, by 

 causing a quantity of atmospheric air to be drawn into tlie chimney 

 by the action of the escape-steam. In the annexed woodcut 



c c, c, represents the form of the pipe by which the air is admitted 

 into the chimney, the mouth d being enlarged for the entrance of 

 the air. The following are the proportions of the pipe, to which 

 considerable importance is attached by the patentee : — The open- 



ing of the escape-pipe being circular, to ascertain its surface and 

 its diameter it is necessary to measure the size of (me of the 

 cylinders of the engines of the locomotive in cubic inches, and by 

 deducting the cube of the ])iston (measured in the same way) the 

 number of cubical inches remaining being divided by three hun- 

 dred and ninety-four, the quotient of that division will indicate 

 the number of si|uare inches that the opening of the escape-pipe 

 should have, 'ihe diameter of tlie opening of the escape-pipe 

 is to the diameter of the cylindrical part as four is to five. The 

 height 6', i", of that cylindrical part is equal to five times the 

 diameter A', d". The diameter 4', d\ of the part h', is to the 

 diameter of the part c, f, as five is to seven, and its height 

 6, d', is equal to the diameter 6, 6, of the opening of the escape- 

 pipe K. Tlie locomotive-engine being put into motion, the steam 

 from the boiler passes through the escape-pipe o, and produces in 

 it a jiowerful suction of air, which flows into that pi]ie through its 

 mouth d ; and its acquired speed, it is stated, remains in it constant 

 on account of its inertia, and although the action of the escape of 

 steam be intermittent. Then a powerful current of air mi.xed 

 with steam escapes in the chimney, and produces a powerful un- 

 interrupted draft. The pipe through which the air passes may be 

 arranged in any other form around the chimnej', and may enter 

 into the smoke-box by one of its lateral sides instead of entering 

 by the front. The patentee claims the mode of arranging appa- 

 ratus whereby currents of steam and air are brought to act toge- 

 ther in the chimneys of locomotive and other engines, so as to 

 accelerate the draft therein. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWERS. 



Design for a Diaphragm Double Sewer, for separating or combining 

 House-drainage and Surface-drainage. — Registered by W. B. >Iop- 

 FATT, Esq., of Spring-gardens. 



The annexed engraving represents a design for a main sewer, 

 the novelty of which consists in forming it in two separate cham- 

 bers, the upper or larger portion A forming a subway for means 

 of access to the lower sewer B, and house-drains E, E, and also 

 for the passage of surface-water from inlets D, D. It may also be 

 used for electric telegraph, gas, or water pipes, so as to prevent 

 the breaking up of the pavement. A tube may also be inserted 

 above the level of the inlet D, for placing service-water or gas- 

 pipes to houses, &c. 



The engraving represents a transverse vertical section of a 

 sewer constructed on the principle described, showing the dia- 

 phragm and trap. 



A, the subway. B, the main sewer, which is separated by the 

 diaphragm C. This diaphragm is continued throughout the entire 

 length of the sewer, but has inserted at intervals a moveable trap 

 F, which may be raised for cleaning the house-drains and main 

 sewer, if required, and may be used for flushing with surface 

 water. E, E, inlet for house-drainage. D, D, inlet for surface- 

 drainage. 



Protection has been obtained for the diaphragm C, and trap F, 

 which, together with the separate passages A, B, are new, as ap- 

 plied in the manner herein shown. — Patent Journal. 



