1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



61 



GAS POWER. 



Jamf.s Neville, of Walworth, Surrey, 'Civil Engineer, for "Imprmmmisin 

 ohtaining power hj menvs of gases applicable to worhitig machines."— Granted 

 July 13^1843; enrolled January 13, 1844, 



Fur this purpose the patentee employs the rough nitrates of potass or soda, 

 combineil «ith rharcoal. or bituminous coal, or other combustible matter, 

 whicli will have the effect of decomposing the said nitrates. The coal or 

 charcoal and nilrales are mixed together in such proportions as to completely 

 cITect the decomposition of the nitric acid of llie said nitrates, and the cnm- 

 piiund or separate gases, and heat produced therefrom, are madeavailalile for 

 producing moiive power. 



Till! annexed engraving is a sectional elevation of the apparatus employed 

 for ciillecting and applying the gases to tlie purpose of generating sleam, and 

 IS :is fulluws :— n n and b b are two cylindrical vessels atfi.\ed at right angles 

 to each oiher, as shown ; c c is another cylindrical vessel, placed within the 

 luier, or vessel b b. on the top of whicli is placed a pipe or tube d; e is a 

 Vessel suspended within the vessel a in an inverted position, with iis lower 

 end dipping into the water contained in the vessels a and A, wliich vessels 

 form or constitute a boiler ; /is a hopper, to which are attached two pipes g, g, 

 «li:c!i pass ihiough the end of the vessel e, as shown ; // is a furnace, and i 

 a reiori, divided by a plate or partiiion^'. The aciion of this apparatus is as 

 follows : the hopper/ being filled wilh the above mi.\tureor compound, a fire 

 is lijilited within the furnace //, the heat uf which jiasses in the direction 

 shown by the arrows, and escapes through an opening at/c. When the retort 

 Mi^is become sulficiently healed, the compound or mixuire contained in the 

 hopper is allowed to fall donn the pipes g g upon the heated retort, whereby 

 the [larticles of the mixture become ignited, and the gases and caloric obtained 

 thi'iefrom pass up the tube (/, and between the annular space formed by the 

 vessel !' and tube d, so tliat the gases and vapours are made to pass through 

 water, in their passage tu the boiler, and communicate their high temperature 

 thereto, which will have the elfect of producing a considerable quantity of 

 steam, winch, combined with the gases, may be applied for producing me- 

 chanical power ; I is stated to be a contrivance for regulating the pressure in 

 the boiler, and is the eduction pipe for the steam and other vapours. Tlic 

 patentee slates that the residue of the nitrates employed may be removed 

 through an opening formed at n ; videlicet, the sub-nitrales of potass or soda 

 will nearly repay the original cost of the raw material. 'Jhe claim is for the 

 application and use of gases and caloric obtained from thedecomposition of the 

 saiil nitrates, whether combined or not with aqueous vapour, as a means of 

 producing mechanical power. 



PEIMIXQ OF BOILERSi 



D.WiD N.4P1EK, of York Road. Lambeth, Surrey, Engineer, for " Improve- 

 ments applicable In boilers, or apparatus for gentrating steam." — Granted July 

 25, 1843 ; enrolled January 25. 1844. 



These improvements in boilers or apparatus for generating steam are In- 

 tended to prevent what is technically called priming or flushing, or, in other 

 w ords. the water from passing off in conjunction with the steam, and is effected 

 in the following simple manner. The surface of the water in the boiler is 

 covered with one or more tiers of hollow metallic balls or other buoyant sub- 

 stance, or the same may be effected by substances that are not buoyant ; such 

 as perforated plates, supported in the boiler by any mechanical means, or 

 wood may be advantageously employed ; but the patentee prefers hollow 

 metal balls of about 2 inches diameter ; a tier of these balls being placed upon 

 the suffice of the water form a number of interstices, which will be greatly 

 reduced by placing another layer or tier upon the first, and the same will 

 [irevent the water, when in a .=itate of ebullition, from rising np and passing 

 off in conjunction with the sleam. The claim is for the method above de- 

 scribed of preventing the priming and flushing, of whatsoever form or mate- 

 rial the substances employed, and whether buoyant or supported by mecliani- 

 cal means. 



AERIAL LOCOMOTION. 



Wii.T.TAM Croiton Moat, of Upper Berkeley Street, Marylcbone, 

 sex, Surgeon, for "A method of obtaining aerial locomotion." — Granted 

 1843 ; enrolled January 26, 1844. 



Middle. 

 July 2C, 





This machine or apparatus, intended for the purpose of aerial locomotion, 

 consists of a rectangular or oblong frame of wood, or other material, sup- 

 ported, when on the ground, by four legs ; to the upper part of the frame 

 there is a transverse shaft with two double cranks, this shaft gives motion, 

 by means of two other shafts, to IG propelling flippers, which latter give 

 motion to ihe machine. The following description and accompanying en- 

 graving, which is a longitudinal elevation, will serve to show the principle of 

 the invention.— a a is the rectangular frame of wood, supported on legs J 6 ; 

 c is a transverse shaft, supported by centres, passinu through the frame sides 

 this shaft has two double cranks, one of which is shown in dotted lines; upon 

 this shaft, and about the middle of the framing, there is keyed, or otherwise 

 firmly fixed, a large wood wheel d. this wheel imparls motion by means of a 

 rope or gut passing round its periphery, to two shafts, which are also sup- 

 ported by the framing at e e. upon the end of each of these shafts there is a 

 frame consisting of two pieces of wood //, at right angles to each other, in 

 the form of a cross, to each of the ends of these cross pieces there is attached 

 a wood frame g. and to each of these frames is attached, by means of a hinge 

 joint, a propelling flapper /, consisting of a rectangularfranie of wood, covered 

 with parchment or other material ; k, /;. are wheels and square wood frames 

 placed eccentrically with shafts that carry the crosses, the posilion of these 

 eccentric wheels can be altered by means of ropes and tackle, but for what 

 purpose is not clearly shown in the specification ; I is the rudder, which is 

 aciuated by two ropes passing along the frame sides to opposite ends of the 

 machine, and m a platform, which may be extended to any desired length, 

 and is intended for tlie person to stand upon, whose office it should be to 

 guide or govern the machine. On motion lieing given to the large wheel, 

 which is effected by four men standing upon the platform n, a rotary motion 

 is imparted to the cross pieces, which carry Ihe trames and propelling flappers, 

 whieli cause the latter to strike successively upon the air in a direction the 

 opposite to that of Ihe line of gravity; these combined efi'ecis, it is presumed 

 by tlie inventor, will cause the machine to ascend and be propelled through 

 the air. Tlie claim is for the general arrangement and combination of parts, 

 and the application of the same to obtain aerial locomotion. 



