118 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



Ai'nii,, 



adjusted a set of blades or circular knives, supported at the re- 

 quired distance, according to the lenprth of tlie matches, hy means 

 of steel rinjrs or washers, which are fluted on all their circumfer- 

 ence, that they may at the same time serve as rowels. This axis 

 is supported at its two extremities on two moveable bearers, pro- 

 ])erly set u\Hm the upper part of the leader; they are able to ap- 

 ]>roach more or less, according to circumstances, the log of wood 

 to be cut, either by means of screws purposely adajjted or by any 

 other suitable contrivance; consequently, if that cylinder, prepared 

 as l)efore described, be sufficiently advanced against tlie wood, so 

 as to cause the circular blades to penetrate into it to a certain 

 dejitli at the same time that the rowels or washers y bear firmly 

 upon it, so as to impress deeply their projecting spokes, and the 

 surface of the wood being afterwards cut in the manner before 

 described, by means of the lower longitudinal blade, the matches 

 may be entirely separated one from the otlier, or allowed to remain 

 sliglitly adherent, which would facilitate their packing up and 

 carriage. 



COUPLING JOINTS FOR PIPES. 



William Edward Newton, of Chancery-lane, Middlesex, civil 

 engineer, for '■•an invention of an improvement or inijtrovements in 

 making coupling-joints /or pipes, nozzles, st'ip-cocks, still and cylinder 

 heads, and other apparatus." (A communication.) — Granted March 

 22; Enrolled September 20, 1849. 



This patent relates to an improved means of connecting pipes, 

 and to i'astening on the ends of steam or other cylinders or vessels, 

 still-heads, connecting shafts, and various kinds of apparatus that 

 require to be connected by bolts or screws passed through flanges. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 3. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 4. 



Fig. 1 is an external view ; 

 fig. 2, a plan ; and fig. 3 a sec- 

 tion of the improved clasp coup- 

 lings, as applied to cou])ling of 

 pipes. A similar joint may also 

 lie applied to the securing of a 

 cap-jilate (ui to a quadrangular 

 vessel. Fig. t is a section of 

 another modification of the in- 

 vention as applied to the coup- 

 ling of small pipes. 



The invention consists in 

 forcing together the two bodies 



to be coupled, by means of a F.g. 6. 



grooved segmental, or other clamp, according to the form of the 

 jiarts of the vessel or article to be coupled. The groove of the 

 coupling embraces the flanges or their equivalents, which project 



from, or are connected with, the bodies to be coupled ; so that 

 when the said grooved segments are drawn together by screw-bolts, 

 keys, conical wedge-rings, or any equivalent means, the groove 

 therein shall act on the said flanges, or their equivalents, so as to 

 force them together, and thus make a tight joint, with or without 

 interposed packing. 



In figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a, represent two sections of a pipe, each 

 provided with a turned or upset flange h. with packing c; but, if 

 desired, the packing can be dispensed with, by facing the flanges, 

 or making what is termed a ground joint. At the junction of the 

 pipes, an inner pipe d, is introduced within the pi])e to serve as a 

 guide, in joining the flanges together, but it may be dispensed 

 with if desired. Over the two sections of the pipe, and extending 

 over the flanges, are two rings, one for each section, tlie inner 

 faces of which correspond or nearly so with the faces of the two 

 flanges, and are curved or bevelled on their outer faces. These 

 rings should be made to fit somewhat closely on to the sections of 

 the pijie, or may be shrunk on if desired. When the two flanges 

 and rings are put together, face to face, they are embraced by a 

 segmental clamp/, /, made in two parts, the inner periphery of 

 wliich is grooved to embrace the rings e, e, and to act on the outer 

 curved or bevelled faces thereof; so that when the segments are 

 drawn together by means of screw-bolts g, g, that pass through 

 ears h, projecting from their ends, the sides of the grooves are 

 made to act in a wedge-like manner on the outer curved or bevelled 

 faces of the rings e, to force them and the flanges of the sections 

 of the pipe together, and there hold them firmly. In this way it 

 will be seen that the flanges are forced and held together around 

 the entire circumference simply by the use of two bolts; thus 

 eft'ecting a better joint, vvhich can be connected and disconnected 

 in less time, and held with more strength, than by the means 

 heretofore employed. 



Instead of forcing together the segments of the clamp by means 

 of screw-bolts, as above described, this can be done by means of a 

 ring i, as represented at figs. 4, and 5, the inner periphery of 

 which is made conical, so that it may be driven on to the segmental 

 clamp, the outer periphery being also made of a corresponding 

 conical form. In these figures the parts corresponding with those 

 represented in the figures above described are indicated by similar 

 letters. The rings e, e, that extend over the flanges may be dis- 

 pensed with, and the grooved segmental or other clamp may be 

 made to act directly on the flanges; but it is better to use the 

 rings, as they can be more readily adapted to the groove of the 

 segmental clamp, and at the same time ghe strength and support 

 to the flanges, which, in general, are formed by turning over and 

 upsetting the metal of the pipe. If desired, packing of any kind 

 may be interposed between the flanges and the rings; but this in 

 general will not be found necessary. 



INSULATING WIRE OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS. 



John Lewis Ricardo, of Lowndes-square, Middlesex, Esq., 

 M.P., for " improvements in electric telegraphs, and in ajiparatus con- 

 nected therewith." — Granted September 4, 1848 ; Enrolled March 4, 

 1849. 



The improvement relates — first, to the insulation of the wires of 

 electric telegraphs bv combining two or more wires between two 

 fillets of gutta percha or its compounds, whereby they are insulated 

 from each other, and from surrounding 

 materials ; secondly, to an apparatus for 

 suspending wires used in electric tele- 

 graphs, whereby such points of suspension 

 are rendered inaccessible to wet or damp, 

 and consequently less liable to any imper- 

 fection in the insulation. The annexed 

 engraving exhibits a section of the ajipa- 

 ratus, which consists of an earthenware 

 sup])ort a, having the eye or hook b sus- 

 pended to the centre by a nut c, in the 

 recess at the top, which is afterwards 

 filled up with cement d. The cylindrical 

 ])rojecting part e, has a groove or throat 

 _/; cut round it, by which any water coming 

 in contact with the outer surface is inter- 

 cepted, preventing its getting access to 

 the point of suspension ; and it is this throat or groove /, that 

 constitutes the novel feature in this, the second part of his inven- 

 tion. 



