36 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Jan. 20, 



a well known mathematical principle that if a right line of fixed length is in 

 motion, and its ends move in two right lines that are at right angles to each 

 other, the centre or middle point of such right line will describe a circle, 

 whose diameter is equal to the length of the given rif;ht line ; let A B, fig. 1, 

 Fig. 1. bn the right line, and C D, h I' be 



p right lines, at right angles to each 



other, and O the middle point of A. B ; 

 •*- then if the extrtmities move alternately 



on the lines C D, E F, the point O will 



B 2 describe a circle, whose centre is 1, 



and diameter A B ; it is from the above 



principle tliat the inventor bases his 



invention, which is as follows. Fig. 2, 



:] is a sectional elevation ; A A is a frame- 



Fig. 3. 



piston rod. 



CB 



slide d, made to work freely in the 

 grooves or openings E E, of the frame- 

 work A A. Fig. 3 is a view of the 

 framework A A, showing the arrange- 

 ment of parts for converting the ro- 

 tatory into a rectilinear, and the recti- 

 linear into a rotatory motion. G is the 

 main or crank shaft. H the crank, and 

 I a connecting or coupling, one end 

 of which is attached to the slide d, working in the vertical groove, the other 

 end being connected to a slide working in the horizontal groove E, and the 

 centre or middle point connected to the outer end of the crank H. It will be 

 evident, that on motion being imparted to llie piston rod, the extreme ends 

 of the connecting link (or slides) will muve in a horizontal and vertical direc- 

 tion which combined movements will give a rotatory motion to the crank 

 shaft It is perhaps worthy ot notice, that if the cranks (there being two) 

 be placed in opposite directions, or in a line with each other, the shafts to 

 which they are affi.sed will revolve in opposite directions. Mr Booth claims 

 the conversion of alternate rectilinear motion into continuous rotatory motion, 

 and vire versa, by the combined action of the ordinary working cranks, in 

 connexion » ith arms or sliding cranks, the ends cf which are caused to move 

 in grooves at right angles to each other, as described. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING. 



James Joseph Brunet, of Limehouse. Middlesex, Esq., for "Improvements 

 in propelling."— GT3.nt.ed July 6 ; enrolled Jan. 6. 



The first part of this invention relates to an improved paddle wheel, the 

 float boards of which can be forced outwards, or drawn in, or reefed or un- 

 reefed as may be desired. This improved wheel is constructed with two float 

 boards to each arm of the wheel, one placed at the front side of each of the 

 arms, and the other at the back, and attached together by means of a dia- 

 g. nal arm, so that the floats are in two diflerent pl.ices, but so situated with 

 respect to each oiher, that the inner edge of one cidncides with the outer edge 

 of the other ; in place of bolting the floats to the arms of the wheel, they are 

 so constructed as to be disengaged from the arms, or in other words, to be 

 locked and unlocked, with respect to the arms, at pleasure; this is effected 

 by means of two wheels, one of which the patentee terms the compression 

 wheel, and the other the reefing wheel ; these wheels are made to turn freely 

 on the shaft of the paddle wheel, and have motion given them by means of 

 an arrangement of gearing and a winch ; to each pair of float boards is at- 

 tached, by means of a pin joint, one end of a diagonal arm, the other being 

 attached, in like manner, to the periphery of the reefing wheel, whi.h. in 

 being put in motion by the aforesaid gearing and winch, the floats will be 

 drawn towards the axis of the wheel, and the same will be unlocked, or dis- 

 engaged, from the arms of the wheel. 



The second part of tlie invention consists in another modification of the 

 above, the difference being that the floats are placed further apart, as in the 

 ordinary paddle wheel, and in a line, or some circular plane with each other, 

 St equal distances from the axis ; in this case, each alternate float only is 



connected to the reefing wheel, and is capable of being reefed and unreefed, 

 the other being bolted to the arm of the wheel. The inventor claims the 

 reefing and unreefing of floats of paddle wheels by the combined action of 

 reefing wheels and connecting rods. 



The third part of these improvements consists in a mode of propelling ves- 

 sels without the aid of paddle wheels, or other external propelling machinery. 

 This is effected by causing a continuous stream of water to be drawn through 

 a number of openings, either at the bow or sides of the vessel, and then eject- 

 ing or forcing the same through a number of openings at the stern of the 

 vessel, whereby a retractive force is obtained, which propels the vessel for- 

 ward. For this purpose a steam enj^ine of sufficient power is employed to 

 work a three-throw crank, which gives motion to three pumps that inject 

 and eject the water in a continuous stream, thereby propelling the vessel 

 forward. 



The last part of the improvements consists in a new mode of connecting and 

 disconnect! ng the cranks of the paddle shafts of steam vessels, and the cranks of 

 the engine ; this is effected as follows ;— A piece of iron of the form of a washer, 

 having a portion of its circumference, equal to the diameter of the hole, cut out, 

 is affixed to the end of the crank of the paddle-wheel shaft by means of bolts ; 

 the opening in the above is in a lateral direction and of sufficient size to 

 receive the end of the " toe-pin," or crank-pin, which pin isfixed to the crank 

 of the engine shaft in the ordinary manner ; the mode of securing the end 

 of the crank, pin into the opening of the piece of iron boiled on the crank of 

 the paddle shaft, is by a strong iron ring, which in the first place is passed 

 over the crank pin. and the ends of the two cranks brought together, so that 

 the end of the crank-pin passes into the opening of the piece of iron, and is 

 there held by slipping back the ring, and passing it over the aforesaid piece 

 of iron boiled to the crank of the paddle-wheel shaft. The patentee claims 

 the mode of propelling a vessel by causing water to flow from the outside 

 into and through pipes, and to be ejected continuously through orifices placed 

 near the stern, by means of two or more pumps. 



Lastly, the mode of connecting and disconnecting the crank of the paddle 

 wheel shaft to the crank of the steam engine shaft. 



PORTABLE ROOF. 



George Parsons, of West Lambrook, near South Petherton, Somerset- 

 shire, gentleman, for an "Improved portable roof for agricultural and for other 

 pnrpo.^es."— Granted July 6th ; Enrolled January 6th. 



The portable roof, as described in the first part of the specification, con- 

 sists of an iron boss or socket, having a collar at each end ; in the circum- 

 ference of one of the collars there is a number of mortices for receiving the 

 upper ends of the rafters, the lower ends being attached to a suitable frame- 

 work of a circular form, supported by the lower part of the socket ; the roof 

 so constructed is made to slide over a pole made in the form of a screw, by 

 nailing or otherwise fastening thereon a number of segments of metal, wliich, 

 wdien joined together, are of a spiral form ; the screw pole so cons' rucied is 

 made to pass treely through the socket, within which is an antifriction roller 

 that rests upon the plate or plates of metal forming the screw : it will be 

 seen that this description of roof can be easily removed, as it is only required 

 to provide a block or pedestal having a hole in the top for receiving the 

 screw pole and keeping the same in a vertical position ; and in order to raise 

 or lower a roof in constructing or removing a hay rick, so as to protect it 

 from the weather, it is only necessary to give a rotary motion to tlie roof, 

 and the same will be raised or lowered as may be required. Another des- 

 cription of roof, which is of an oblong form, is supported by two poles, but 

 in plice of raising and lowering ihe roof as above described, at each enil of 

 the roof there is a pulley, each pulley being provided with a ratchet wheel ; 

 round one of the pullies there is a rope or chain, which passes in a horizontal 

 direction to the pole adjoining, ami over a guide pulley to the top of the 

 pole, where it passes over another guide pulley to the top of ihe other pole, 

 and from thence in like manner once round the other pulley at the opposite 

 end of the roof; thus by giving motion to the axis of each of the pulleys by 

 means of a winch, the roof can be raised or lowered at pleasure. Another 

 mode of supporting and raising the roof, is effected by boring a number of 

 holes in each pole and passing pins throu;uh, upon which the ends of the roof 

 are made to rest. The patentee claims, first, the arrangement of a roof formed 

 round a sliding socket capable of biing moved up and down at pleasure, on a 

 pole. Second, the peculiar method of raising and lowering a roof, first by 

 a spiral worm and antifriction roller in the socket; and, secondly, by a 

 ratchet wheel and pulley. He also claims the application of a gauge rod, 

 which is fixed to the lower collar of the socket of the roof first described, 

 which gauge is capable of being moved round independently of the roof, 



for the purpose of regulating the diameter of the hay rack about to be con- 

 structed. 



