314 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[October, 



18. On an Oil Test. By Mr. G. Nxsm-TH. 



The test consists of a metal inclinert-plane with six grooves, as 

 shown ill the annexed fijjures 1, and 'i. At tlie top is a small cup 

 C, to contain tlie oil; the oil is allowed to flow out and trickle 

 down the inclined j)lane AB; and after a space of thi-ee or four 

 days, it is noticed the distance eacli description of oil has tra- 

 veiled. That which has passed over tlie longest length is con- 

 sidered the best oil. 



Remarks. — Mr. Roberts remarked that no test could be satisfactory unless 

 the conilitions in wliich oils would be when used were present. Again, some 

 tliin oils might preserve tlicir fluidity, but tliey were not necessarily good 

 lubricators. An oil good for light weights was perfectly useless for heavy 

 ones. For instance, neat's-foot oil is good for clockwork, but bad for rail- 

 way purposes. He had long ago invented a machine whereby the practical 

 value of the oils was tested i>y the material being subjected to an action 

 equivalent to that it would sustain in actual use. That was the only reliable 

 test. He also observed that there was a very cominon but erroneous idea, 

 that smaller the pivot the less the friction. 



Mr. Stephenson remarked that oils sometimes changed their character 

 by the operation of the atmosphere. 



19. On a New Rotary Engine. By Professor McGauley. 



A mode was exhibited by which it appeared that the peculiarity 

 of this engine is that the cylinder and working parts form the fly- 

 wheel also. Tlie whole of the machinery revolves by the action of 

 gravitation; that is to say, side weights are attached to the cross- 

 head of the piston. — when that rises the weights overbalance the 

 parts, and the cylinder rotates; the return of the piston throws 

 the weight in the opposite direction, and so maintains the rotary 

 action. — This engine appears to he similar in principle to one de- 

 scribed in a patent by Wittv, of Hull, in 1810-11. 



20. On Neudstadt and Burnett's Patent Calculating Machine. By 

 Mr. Knight. 



This machine is the invention of M. Slowmiski, a native of 

 Poland. The addition and subtraction tables consist of a thin 

 plate of metal moulded on a box. In this plate are perforated 

 holes, around which are engraved the several digits from to 9. 

 By a peculiar arrangement the wlieels inside the openings, when 

 turned by a stile, exhibit the results required, either in addition or 

 subtraction. The operation of multiplication is performed by a 

 larger instrument. As no detailed explanation of the machine 

 was given, we cannot enter into its principle. 



21. On a Plan fur Ventilating Cual-Mines. By Mr. Nicholson. 

 This plan consists of liaving the furnace for the rarefaction of 



the air at the top instead of the bottom of the shaft. — The plan, 

 it was stated by some members, was not new; it had been in use 

 nearly a century. 



THE EXHIBITION AT BIRMINGHAM. 



To those tolerably acquainted with the resources of English 

 manufacturing skill, the Exhibition at Birmingham, held during 

 the meeting of the British Association, presents little that is novel 

 or remarkable; but taken in another point of view, this Exhibition 

 has considerable interest. It is to us small, but it shows suflScient 

 development of power to enable us to institute a comparison with 

 the great Exposition at Paris, and to form an estimate of the pro- 

 bable success of a National Exhibition here. 



In France, the Exposition held once in four or five years is a 

 rarity, which is pai'ticularly striking to the visitors; and the ex- 

 periment being once made, it could not fail to become a permanent 

 institution. Here it seems wonderful that a great manufacturing 

 country should have no National Exhibition; but, inasmuch as it 

 is a great manufacturing country, is it in truth less wonderful that 

 such a want should be felt? The English are a travelling people, 

 and are famiHar with illustrations of mechanical skill. In the 

 nietro])olis, there are always one or more polytechnic galleries 

 open, besides the special engineering sights, — the mint, the dock- 

 yards and arsenals at Woolwich and Deptford, the bank weighing- 

 machines, the breweries. Bishop and Pell's distillery, the saw-mills, 

 marble-works, carving- works, Apsley Pellatt's glass-house, the 

 shipyards, Broadwoods pianoforte-works, the silversmiths', besides 



the numberless works of a great manufacturing and trading town, 

 famed for the skill of its handicraftsmen. In travelling, the 

 sight-seeing is not in picture galleries, hut in mines, cotton-mills, 

 docks, ironworks, and potteries. There is a carte dii jxiys for 

 these things; and thei'e are few Englislimen who have not seen 

 many of these sights and brought home porcelain from Worcester, 

 cutlery from Sheflield, and cotton prints from Manchester. The 

 Londoner goes to these things; when they are brought within his 

 ken, he will think less of them than the Parisian, who is home- 

 tied. We say this, not in depreciation of an exhibition, hut as 

 explanatory of its non-existence. It is because we are rich in 

 private libraries that we feel less the want of public ones; it is 

 because we travel we feel less the want of having mechanical 

 sights gathered together in our own neighbourlioods. 



This, too, is the reason we say the Birmingham Exhibition has 

 little that is novel to the sight-seeing public; though a foreigner 

 would look with admiration on productions, of which he has here» 

 tofore seen no example. In most cases, it is not allowed parva 

 componere magnis; but here we can fairly compare little things 

 with great, for quality, as in a national gallery of the great mas- 

 ters, is of more importance than quantity ; and in quality, the 

 Birmingham Exhibition, in many important articles, goes beyond 

 the Paris Exposition; and in many others in which the French 

 have a high reputation, it does not yield to them. 



In porcelain, glass, papier-mache, plate, electro-plate, and brass 

 fittings, there is no need to he ashamed of competition with the 

 French; and yet there are articles requiring much taste and ar- 

 tistic skill in their manufacture, beyond the mechanical manipu- 

 lation. 



Parian statuettes and gutta-percha, are almost peculiarly English. 

 The bronzes are good, and there are many good specimens of 

 mixed materials, metal, glass, and porcelain. 



Saws, files, and rough tools are expected to be found at Bir 

 mingham, of the highest class; and so too the higher productions 

 of locks and stoves. INIany of the large wrought pieces and cast 

 ings were of the soundest character. In ornamental casting there 

 were, however, few great works. The largest was a bracket, the 

 mathematical instruments in quality far surpass those of the 

 French. 



In buttons and toywork of all kinds, Birmingham is able to heat 

 the world. 



The Exhibition committee having charge of the arrangements 

 consisted of manufacturers of universal reputation; such men as 

 Messrs. Chance, Osier, Westly Richards, Elkington, Gillott, Win- 

 field, Jennens, Messenger, and Minton, who have establishments 

 of colossal magnitude, and whose works and wares are sent 

 througliout the world. 



The Coalbrook Dale company had some ornamental castings in 

 iron, of a common character — the old Warwick vase, and so forth. 

 There were likewise various smaller articles of interest. 



Some cannons were shown by Messrs. Thomson and Astbury, of 

 Smethwick. 



Tlie illustrations of the process of stamping metal, looking com- 

 mon enough in an ironmongery or a kitchen, were here interesting, 

 as showing the results of a peculiar process; and one could look 

 with complacency on copper jelly moulds, teapot bodies, iron fun- 

 nels, extinguishers, nozzles for candlesticks, and egg-cups; in the 

 production of each of which considerable mechanical power is 

 brought to bear. 



Of guns there were several exhibitors, and the productions 

 were of a very high order. 



In wood carvings and machine carving we seem to go beyond 

 the French; whether we should beat the Flemings or High 

 Dutch is another matter. Mr. W. H. Rogers, of Soho, London, 

 sent carved brackets, bread-plates, paper-knives, and so forth. 



The cabinet-sawing of Messrs. Prosser and Iladley, of London, 

 was very good, and included brackets, trusses, bannisters, panels 

 for ))ianoforte makers, and ventilating plates. Messrs. 1 aylor, 

 Williams, and Jordan, of London, had very good machine carv- 

 ings. 



The stoves, as we have already hinted, were highly praise- 

 worthy. There were some by Messrs. Brettel and Roberts, of 

 N(u-thampton; and Mapplebeck and Lowe, of Birmingham. 



Buttons and buckles were shown by Messrs. Smith and Kemp, 

 Chntwin and Son, Hardman and Ilift'e, and John Aston. 



Messrs. Allen and Moore exhibited various specimens of orna- 

 mental stamping, as medals, taper-bo.xes, snuff-boxes, whist- 

 markers, picture-frames, pen-cleaners, egg-cups, and labels. 



Tlie show of iron pens was a good proof how a small object may 

 become an important manufacture. 



Mr. Grainger, of Worcester, showed what he called semi-porce- 



