80 



THE CIVIL ENGIXEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[March, 



2. The. imprniied hnrnmeter \s constructedvvitli a vertical spindle 

 which carries a card, having on its surface a number of concentric 

 circles which represent portions of time, and radiating lines which 

 represent fractions of inches. Above tlie card is a lever carrying 

 a vertical pricker, which is made to rise and fall at certain regular 

 intervals of time, and to travel from the inner concentric circle to 

 the outer one once in twenty-four hours. On the vertical spindle, 

 and underneath the card, is fastened a grooved wheel, round which 

 is passed a cord. A counter-balance weight is attached to one end 

 of the cord, while the other one is made fast to a float resting upon 

 a column of mercury in a tiibe. The card has a fixed point repre- 

 senting 29'5 inches, which, at commencement, is placed underneath 

 the pricker. As the column of mercury falls or rises the printed 

 card will travel to the right or to the left accordingly, and its 

 variations of height be indicated by the distance of the punctured 

 lines from the starting point, on either side. 



3. The improved tachometer, o\- apparatus for measuring the speed 

 of vessels through the water, and the velocity of a current of 

 water, consists of a horizontal spindle moving freely on pivots at- 

 tached to the side of the vessel beneatli the water-line, and in- 

 closed in a case open at both ends. The spindle is fitted with 

 vanes, the pitch of which is regulated so that ten revolutions of 

 the vane-spindle shall equal one fathom. The vane-spindle 

 carries a tangent-screw, which gears into a toothed wheel keyed 

 on the end of a shaft which passes into the interior of the vessel, 

 whereby the number of nautical miles is marked in units, &c. up 

 to 10,000, on ordinary indicating dials through the medium of 

 trains, such as are used in gas-meters, with tlie addition of four 

 spring barrels, whose especial office it is to work the indicating 

 dials and trains, and diminish the friction of the diiferent parts so 

 as to relieve the vane-spindle from this duty, wliereby the speed 

 of the vessel, or velocity of the current, will be more correctly in- 

 dicated and registered. The spring barrels have no effect of 

 themselves upon the dials and gearing, but appear to facilitate the 

 action of the vane-spindle thereon. We say "appear," for we ob- 

 serve with regret that the relative connection of these barrels 

 witli the rest of the apparatus are anything but clearly and dis- 

 tinctly described, although they constitute the novelty of this 

 portion of the invention, and form the subject of a separate claim. 



i. The platform of the improved weigh-bridge is supported upon 

 a horizontal cross- bar attached to the lower end of a vertical-bar, 

 which is made fast at top to the end of a horizontal lever, whereby 

 the platform is supported on a centre. The weight to balance the 

 platform, with the goods thereon, is hung upon this horizontal 

 lever, which carries a short upriglit, attached to a shorter horizon- 

 tal lever, which is placed above and parallel to the first. The 

 other end of the short lever is pivoted loosely to a standard of 

 the frame, and has above it a coiled spring. From the top end of 

 the short upright is a chain, which passes over a pulley, suspended 

 between friction-rollers, and terminating in a weight that balances 

 the connecting pieces. This pulley is keyed on a rod, to the end 

 of which is a pointer, whereby the weiglit of goods on the platform 

 is indicated on a dial; while, at tlie same time, a paper is made to 

 travel underneath a pencil, so that the weight is also at the same 

 time registered. 



Claims. — 1. The combination of suitable apparatus with a main- 

 taining power, so as to produce a self-acting means of registering 

 the direction of the head of the vessel, as indicated by the mag- 

 netic needle. 



2. The method of registering upon a circular disc by a travelling 

 point or pencil, as applied to barometers, and described. 



3. The combination of a su])plementary or auxiliary [lOwer, 

 with apparatus for indicating and registering the speed of a vessel 

 through the Wiiter, and the velocity of currents of water. 



+. The measuring and registering of weiglit by a weigh-bridge 

 or platform machine, having attached thereto apparatus such as 

 .described. 



THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. 



Chevalier Alexandre Edouard Le Molt, of Conduit-street, 

 Regent-street, Middlesex, for " improrements in apimratiia for 

 lighting by elect rii-it ij ; partu of which may he made n.te of in other ap- 

 plications of electricity."— Gr-dnteH July 20, 184.8; Enrolled January 

 20, 1849. [Reporteil in Newton's London ,Tournal.~\ 



The first part of tliis invention relates to certain improvements 

 in the manufacture of |)iles or batteries, for evolving electric cur- 

 I'ents, to hi applied to the production of light and other uses. 



One of sucli improvements consists in the application of the 



carbon which is found in the retorts used in the manufacture of 

 coal-gas as one of the elements of an electric jiile. The carbon, 

 as it comes from the retorts, simply requires to be cut to the re- 

 quired shape: the patentee prefers to use it in rectangular plates 

 or blocks; but it may be cut into other forms, n, (fig. 1), is ^ 

 plate or block of carbon, connected with a cylinder of amalga- 

 mated zinc 6, by means of a strip of metal c, whicli is soldered or 

 rivetted at one end to the cylinder 6, and at the other end is sol- 

 dered to the upper extremity of the carbon: the upper end of the 

 carbon is coated with copper or other metal, for this purpose, by 

 the electrotype process; and this constitutes anotlier of the im- 

 provements. A further improvement consists in coating the 

 cylinder of amalgamated zinc on one side (the outer side in the 

 present arrangement) with a varnish or other suitable matter, 

 which will jirevent the liquid used from acting on the zinc on the 

 protected side: such side having no relative influence whatever 

 with the carbon element would otherwise be uselessly exposed to 

 the destructive action of the acid. The patentee prefers to use 

 copal varnish as the protecting material; and he gives a body to 

 the same, by grinding finely-powdered retort carbon therewith. 

 The connecting strip of metal, and the electrotyped end of the 

 carbon element, are also to be coated with the varnish. A battery, 

 constructed according to this invention, is shown in fig. 2, where 

 rf, rf, are two stoneware jars, each containing a porous jar e, which 

 receives the carbon element «, of the pile, and is surrounded by 

 the cylinder of amalgamated zinc b; into the jars «, nitric acid is 

 introduced; and in the jars rf, a solution of sulpliuric acid, com- 

 posed of one part of acid to seven parts of water, is used. W'hen 

 the apparatus is intended to lie carried about, tlie patentee prefers 

 to make the jars d, with a flange or rim at the top, as shown in 

 figs. 3, and +, to prevent the liquid from splashing. 



Fig. 2. 



Another improvement, described under this head of the inven- 

 tion, cimsists in making carbon elements for electric piles by 

 causing the carbon to be moulded and then subjected to great 

 pressure, by means of hydraulic or other suitable presses, in order 

 to obtain the carbon as dense and compact as possible. The 

 patentee prefers to use one part of powdered coal, coke, or char- 

 coal, three parts of carbon from gas-retorts, and one part of tar; 

 these materials are to be well mixed, moulded, and subjected to 

 pressure; then dried, by exposure to the action of the atmosphere, 

 in the shade, for a few days; aud, when dry, the mixture is to be 

 subjected to heat in a nearly-dosed retort for thirty-six hours, — 

 the heat being applied gradually till it arrives at a bright red heat, 

 and then to be allowed to cool down gradually: the carbon is then 

 ready for use. 



The second part of this invention relates to the apparatus for 

 producing light by electricity; and it consists in using discs of 

 carbon as electrodes, in such manner that, by revolving near eacli 

 other in the same plane or in planes at an angle to each other, 

 they shall constantly present fresh surfaces, and, when they have 



