1844. 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



321 



Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification of one of Mr. Fletcher's latches; 

 fig. 2 being a side view showing the interior, and fig. 3 a transverse 



Fig. 3. Fig. 4. 



section ; a is the bolt acted upon by a spiral spring so as to force it 

 outwards, 6 is a stud fixed in the side of the bolt, c c are the handles, 

 and d the spindle which it rests upon, or, in other words, is passed 

 between the stud, b, and the briiss plates, e e, which may be made to 

 form the sides of the latch, and which have slots cut in them as will 

 be understood. Thus by pressing the handle in the position shown by 

 dotted lines, the edge of the plates, e e, form a fulcrum to the spindle, 

 which bearing against the stud, b, forces the bolt, a, into the lock and 

 allows the door to be opened. There are several other modifications 

 of this latjh described in the specification. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING IRON AND STEEL. 



Thomas Southall, of Kidderminster, in the county of Worcester, 

 druggist, and Charles Crudgington, of the same place, banker, for 

 " Improvements in the maim/aciure of iron and steel." — Granted Feb. 8 ; 

 Enrolled August 8, 1844. 



This invention consists in a mode of improving the quality ot the 

 iron, or converting the same into steel, by the application of sulphur 

 and a nitrate when the iron is in a melted state. For this purpose 

 the inventor tak<'3 sulphur and nitre, together with borax, soda and 

 potass, and also alum, the sulphur being in the state of brimstone of 

 commerce, and the nitre in the state of saltpetre of commerce, the po- 

 tass, borax, soda (subcarbonate of soda), and alum, being of the usual 

 qualities ; the above materials are to be thoroughly mixed together in 

 a granulated state, in the following quantities, that is to say, equal 

 quantities by weight of borax, nitre, sulphur and alum, with half the 

 quantity by weight of potass and soda; the above ingredients when 

 properly mixed together are to be made up in strong paper parcels 

 (which will render the same more convenient for sinking below the 

 surface of the metal,) of li lb. each, one of which parcels is to be used 

 to about every 400 cwt. of pig iron when in a melted state, this pro- 

 portion being used when it is only required to improve the quality of 

 the iron, but when it is desired to convert the iron into steel the in- 

 ventors use 4 lb. or rather more to every 400 cwt. of iron ; the pro- 

 cess of mixing is as follows : when the iron is in a melted state, for 

 instance in the puddling lurnace, the damper is to be lowered for 

 about one minute, the above mixture is then to be put into the fur- 

 nace and well incorporated with the iron by stirring, during the time 

 of stirring, the damper is to be gradually raised, the iron during this 

 time will be subjected to ebullition " when it will come to nature ;" 

 after which the iron may be balled, and put under the tilt hammer and 

 then rolled in the ordinary manner. 



The inventors observe that it will be necessary to use a greater or 

 less proportion or quantity of the ingredients above described accord- 

 ing to the quality of the iron, which proportion will be found in prac- 

 tice ; moreover, when converting iron into steel, care should be taken 

 not to use too much, which would have the effect of making the steel 

 too brittle. 



STEAM boilers. 



James Johnstone, of Willow Park, Greenock, Esq., for " improve- 

 ments in steam boilers." — Granted Feb. 8; Enrolled July 26, 1844. 



These improvements are said, in the specification, to have refe- 

 rence to that part of boilers called furnaces, and are constructed upon 

 similar principles to the boilers for which Mr. Johnstone obtained a 

 patent in April 3843. The annexed drawing shows two plans of a 

 fire box constructed according to this invention. Fig. 1 being a side 

 elevation, and fig. 2 an end view ; a, b, c, d, fig. 1, is the fire box, and 

 consists of an intirnal and external case firmly bound together by 

 rivets e, e, e, and in such manner as to form a water space between the 

 two cases ; /, g,f, g, are two water conductors, which communicate 

 with the water spaces; h, i, is a steam and water conductor attached 

 to the top of the external case, and also communicates with the water 



spaces, each of these conductors has flanges at one end, which flanges 

 are perforated with holes for the purpose of being rivetted or bolted to 

 the end of the boiler, which should have holes previously made in its 

 end, corresponding with the three conductors, the area of which, that 

 is to say, the water conductors should be equal or greater than the 



Fig.l. 



horizontal sectional area of the water space, the area of the conductor 

 h, i, being equal to or greater than that of both water conductors ; I, I, 

 are the fire bars, below which, if it is desired, there may also be a 

 water space communicating with the others. The water space at the 

 front end of the fire box m, must be stopped up with a piece of iron 

 made to fit such space, and firmly rivetted therein. 



The patentee claims as his invention the construction and applica- 

 tion of boiler furnaces and furnace boilers, of which the outer and 

 inner fire boxes are bolted together at the roof as well as at the sides, 

 so that a current of water is continuously kept flowing up the sides, 

 and over and along the top of the inner fire box. 



ornamental glass. 



Joseph Gibson, Jun., of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, 

 japanner, for " Improvements in ornamenting glass." — Granted Feb. 10 ; 

 Enrolled August 8, 1844. 



This invention consists first in ornamenting glass with pearl, by 

 cementing or otherwise afiixing pieces of pearl to the back or inner 

 surface of coloured or colourless glass, so that the pearl may be seen 

 through the glass ; and secondly in ornamenting glass with pearl and 

 other substances. The mode of carrying out this invention is as fol- 

 lows : Mr. G. takes a piece of pearl of the shape and size required 

 for thi' ornament, having one or both surfaces previously ground or 

 filed perfectly flat, that portion of the glass to which the ornament or 

 ornaments isto be fixed is to be covered with a thin stratum of copal 

 or other transparent varnish, the ornament is then to be pressed closely 

 against the surface of the glass so as to cause the ornament to adhere 

 thereto ; after which the piece of glass, together with the ornament, 

 is to be put into an oven and subjected to a heat of about 120", and 

 allowed to remain there for 6 or 8 hours more or less, for the purpose 

 of hardening the varnish, after which the whole surface of the glass 

 upon which the ornament has been fixed may have a coat of varnish 

 and be subjected to the process of drying as before, when the 

 said surface may be painted with black or coloured paint, which when 

 dried completes the process. Another process is by tracing the orna- 

 ment upon the glass, and then carefully painting all the surface of the 

 glass with the exception of that part where the ornament is to be 

 placed, which is to be attached to the glass in the manner before 

 described; the pieces of pearl forming the ornament maybe pre- 

 viously ornamented with gold or silver as may be desired. Such or- 

 namented glass is considered as being applicable for buttons, panels 

 of doors, finger plates, work boxes, tables, and other cabinet furniture. 



fire proof buildings. 



Henry Hawes Fox, of Northwoods, of Framptou Cotterel '- 

 Winterbourne, in the county of Gloucester, Doctor of Medic;'^" 

 "an Improved mode of constructing Jire-proo/Jloors, ceilings ai"^^'-" 

 —Granted Feb. 10 ; Enrolled August 0, 1844. ^'^o'^ 



The mode of constructing fire-proof roofs according t<jj' 

 tion is as follows : a a, Fig. 1, are cast iron beams havini ingijet.' 

 at the lower edge, as will be seen by Fig. 2, which shov' 

 ection of one of the same ; these beams extend act 



