1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



339 



being joined up to the blocks, forming the wood pavement ; the side or filling 

 blocks being bevelled o(T as at/, in order to allow the water, &c. to pass 

 freely Into the gutter ; the upper side of the curb is formed with a number of 

 grooves in its surface, as shown in the plan viev\', to ensure better foothold. 



ORNAMENTAL COVERING FOR FLOORS. 



Henky Pdrser Vaile, of Blackfriars Road, Surrey, gentleman, for " Im- 

 provements in manufacturing metal comVmed with other ■materials for covering of 

 floors and otiier SKr/oces."— Granted Dec. 13, 1843 i Enrolled June 12, 1844. 



In carrying out this invention the patentee takes a sheet of lead or other 

 suitable metal and perforates it with holes, which may be of a round, scjuare, 

 or other form and in right lines, leaving a narrow piece of metal between each 

 hole, or the holes may be so arranged in the plate as to form some device or 

 figure ; but as the figure or device can be worked in the same manner as the 

 Berlin goods, that is, by filling up the little squares on the pattern card or 

 paper with various colours, the holes may be in right lines as will be hereafter 

 described. A perforated metal plate being provided the holes are to be filled 

 up with a plastic cement which may be applied in various colours, and in such 

 manner as to form any desired pattern ; the cement being of such a nature as 

 to dry sufficiently hard to bear walking and treading upon, the invention not 

 being confined to any particular composition, although Mr. Vaile mentions 

 one which he has found to answer the purpose well, and consists of about 

 two-thirds of pulverized glass with about one-third by weight of dry ground 

 colouring matter, which ingredients are to be mixed up with copal varnish to 

 about the consistency of putty. This cement being provided, the inventor 

 proceeds by laying the perforated metal plate with its face downwards upon 

 a Hat table and then filling up the holrs in the plate with any suitable instru- 

 ment and with various coloured cements, so as to form the required des'gn or 

 pattern, after which the metal plate is to be turned over and the back side is 

 to be covered with strong canvass or other suitable material cemented thereto. 

 For this purpose the inventor employs a cement made from a matter known 

 and sold by the name of mastic, mixed with one-fourteenth by weight of 

 bees'-wax, melted together and reduced to a fluid slate, or the consistency of 

 oil paint by means of turpentine. This mixture is to be applied with a brush 

 to the back side of the plate, and also to the canvass ; the canvass is then to 

 l* placed upon the plate, and the same pressed together, after which the plate 

 will be ready to be laid down upon the floor, any inequalities on the face side 

 being removed with a pumice stone. 



There is also another mode of filling the perforations in the plate with 

 caoutchouc, or India rubber. For this purpose the patentee provides a sheet 

 of India rubber somewhat thicker than the metallic plate, which in this case 

 may be perforated so as to form various devices, which will be seen in conse- 

 quence of the India rubber, on being exposed to the air, turning black and 

 thereby forming a contrast with the metal plate. Tlie plate being provided, 

 a sheet of India rubber is to be laid upon one side thereof, after which the 

 plate and India rubber are to be passed between a pair of pressure rollers, 

 which will have the effect of pressing the India rubber into the holes or per- 

 forations of the plate, thereby filling the same, leaving a thin covering of 

 India rubber on the back side of the plate, which when laid down will be next 

 the floor. India rubber mixed with cork or colouring matter may also be 

 used for the purpose above described. 



DEPOSITION OF METALS. < 



Julius Schottlaender, of Saint .Swithin's Lane, in the City of London, 

 Mercliant, for certain *' Improvements in the deposition of metals upon various 

 felted and other fabrics.''— Gvantei December 8, 1843 ; Enrolled June 7, 1844. 

 The mode of effecting the deposition of metals upon felled and woven fa- 

 brics is as follows. A plate of copper is in the first place to be provided of 

 the required dimensions, one side of which is to he covered with plumbago, 

 and the other rendered inactive by covering it with varnish or other suitable 

 material, the piece of cloth or linen fabric to be metallized is then to be 

 stretched tightly over that face of the copper-plate which has received the 

 plumbago, and secured by its edges in any convenient manner. The copper 

 plate and piece of fabric to be metallized are then to be immersed in a solution 

 of sulphate of copper, and the plate connected with the zinc end of the bat- 

 tery ; another copper-plate is then to be immersed in the solution, and con- 

 nected with the copper end of the battery, when the action of the battery 

 will commence and the metal will be deposited upon the copper-plate between 

 such plate, and the fabric to be coated, and by continuing the operation the 

 metal will begin to penetrate the pores of the cloth, and will appear on the 

 opposite or back side of the cloth in small globules. Wlien the operation 

 has been continued a sufficient length of time, the metal plate and cloth may 

 be taken out of the solution, and the metallized cloth removed from the cop- 

 per-plate, which will be very easily done, and should the plate employed have 

 a smooth surface, the face of the metallized cloth>ill have a polished surface. 



but should the copper-plate have an engraved or embossed surface, the me- 

 tallized cloth will also have an embossed surface, and be a fac-simile of sucli 

 surface, the copper-plate forming the die or matrix. Ornamental designs 

 may also be produced by drawing upon the copper-plate with some non-con- 

 ducting substance, or portions of the plate may be cut away ; by these means 

 various ornamental designs may be produced, which may be afterwards sil- 

 vered, gilt, or otherwise finished. 



W'hen it is required to metallize a piece of cloth of considerable lengtli, the 

 inventor employs an apparatus consisting of a vessel a, within which is put 

 the sulphate of copper or other solution, 6 is a copper roller supported by the 

 ends of the vessel, a cis the piece of cloth to be metallized, and which piece 

 passes over the roller d, down and under the copper roller and up over the 

 roller e, / is a copper-plate connected with the copper-p'jle of a galvanic 

 battery, the copper roller b being connected with the zinc pole of the battery, 

 the parts of the apparatus being connected to the battery by copper wires, 

 and the vessel a filled with the solution of copper, a slow motion being im- 

 parted to the roller l>, the deposition of metal takes place between the cloth 

 and the roller in the manner above described, and should the roller be en- 

 graved with some ornamental design, a fac-simile will be obtained. It will 

 be found of great advantage previously to operating upon woven or felted fa- 

 brics, to wash over the surface of the cloth with clay and water mixed to 

 about the consistency of cream, and then allow it to dry, after which the 

 cloth may be washed with water, which will leave some of the finer particles 

 of clay in the cloth, and will thereby render it more porous and better adapted 

 in other respects for the purpose above described. 



When the surface to be metallized consists of glass or glazed earthenware, 

 the surface is to be roughened by mechanical or other means, such as grind- 

 ing. The parts to be deposited upon are then to be surrounded by a matrix 

 of metal, which is to be connected with the zinc end of the battery, its inner 

 surface being made conducting by means of plumbago. The article to be de- 

 posited upon is then to be immersed in the solution, and also a copper-plate, 

 which latter is to be connected with the copper pole of the battery ; the metal 

 contained in the solution will then begin to fill up the parts between tlie ma- 

 trix and the article to be deposited upon, and by these means any design may 

 be copied and firmly fixed upon the glass or glazed surface of earthenware. 



These are the improvements which consist in the arrangement of batteries 

 for the purpose above described, one of which consists in arranging horse shoe 

 magnets so as to form two circles, with their poles opposed to each other, 

 the outer circle of magnets being wrapped with copper wire, covered with silk ; 

 a rotary motion being given to the inner circle of magnets, the electric fluid 

 will pass from one wire to another throughout the whole, with a power de- 

 pending upon the speed and size of the magnets. 



BRINE APPARATUS. 



John Sylvester, of Great Russell Street, Engineer, for " Improvements in 

 applying heat to brine or other matters contained in vessels." — Granted Decem- 

 ber 13, 1843 i enrolled June 13, 1844. 



The object of this invention is to obtain and maintain a regular and uni- 

 form temperature above 212 degrees, Fahr., to brine or other liquid matters 

 contained in vessels, which the inventor proposes to effect in the following 

 manner. 



In place of exposing the vessel containing the brine to the immediate 

 action of the fire, such vessel is placed within another, which latter forms a 

 jacket to the brine vessel, lire outer vessel or jacket being of such dimensions 

 as to leave a space of from 3 to 4 inches between the vessel containing the 

 brine and the external vessel or case, which is made to form a water-tight 

 junction with the brine vessel. The space between the two vessels is then 

 filled with water, which fluid is to be subjected to a pressure which must be 

 varied according to the temperature required to be maintained. The pressure 

 transmitted to the fluid, contained in the space formed by the two vessels, 

 is regulated by a pipe, which may be of small diameter and attached to some 

 convenient part of the external vessel, and extending in a vertical direction to 

 a height of 30 feet or upwards, and filled with water. This tube may be pro- 

 vided with a stop cock, at or near the bottom end, so as to regulate the 



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