1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



371 



forced ontwards in a direction from the centre of the piston, (his downward 

 pressure of the ring, f f, is effected by means of a projecting ring cast on the 

 underside of the cover, which, as the cover is screwed on, presses on tlie upper 

 surface of the ring and adjusting screws ; iiii ate four wedge pieces, the 

 object of which will be as clearly seen without the description as given in the 

 specification as with it. 



Fig. 2. 



Pig. 1. 

 The second part of Ihis invention consists in a peculiar mode of applying 

 D etallic packing to those engines known by the name of patent disc engines, 

 ■whereby the use of hempen packing therein will be " almost entirely super- 

 seded," although the inventor in his description prefers to use a little ; for 

 which he claims, first the application of segments or rings of a conical form 

 on their inner surface in combination with an elastic ring and adjusting screws, 

 and second in the application of packing as described, which is calculated to 

 supersede almost entirely the use of hempen packing in that class of engines 

 tailed patent disc engines. 



Moses Poole, of Lincoln's Inn, in the county of Middlesex, gentleman, 

 for Improvements in steam engines, steam boilers and furnaces or fireplaces. 

 Being a communication.— Granted March \i; Enrolled September 14, 1844. 



The first part of this invention has reference to an apparatus for raking and 

 clearing the fire, which consists of an arrangement of levers supporting a 

 rectangular frame below the fire bars, upon this frame there is a number of 

 projecting blades, which blades, as the outer end of the frame is lowered or 

 pulled downwards, enter between the grate bars. The levers which support 

 the frame are so arranged as to allow of a longitudinal, or backward and for- 

 ward motion being given to the frame, which when the aforesaid blades have 

 in' the manner described been forced between the grate bars will have the 

 eifect of thoroughly clearing the fire. The ends of the bars are shewn as 

 being bent downwards at right angles to the bar and terminating in a trough 

 containing water for the purpose of keeping them cool, or the same may be 

 made hollow and have steam or water passed through them. 



The second part of the invention relates to a mode ol evaporating the water, 

 which passes off with the steam from the boiler, and also in a mode of regu- 

 lating the temperature of the dry sieam. This the inventor proposes to effect 

 by reheating the steam after it has passed from the boiler, and thereby eva- 

 porate any particles of water which may have passed from the boiler ; but in 

 Older that the temperature of the steam may not be too great so as to bum 

 the tow or packing, and also dry up the oil intended to lubricate the various 

 parts, he proposes to arrange the parts in such manner that wet steam, or 

 steam from the boiler, may be introduced into the chamber receiving the eva- 

 porated steam by means of a cock, which can be regulated according to the 

 quantity required, which can be ascertained by means of a thermometer. 



The third part relates to certain improvements in steam boilers, which have 

 little claim to novelty ; and the fourth to an apparatus for preventing explo- 

 sions in steam boilers, the latter consisting in the so arranging the safety 

 valve by means of a lever and float that it will open when the water in the 



boiler gets below the proper level, and also when the steam is raised above a 

 certain temperature. 



The fifth and last part of the invention relates to certain mechanical ar- 

 rangements to be used in combination with the governor for regulating the 

 speed of the engine; the defect in the ordinary centrifugal governor is stated 

 in the specification to be, that when the balls have been moved beyond their 

 ordinary position, either to open or shut the throttle valve, they cannot re- 

 turn to their original position without again changing the state of circum- 

 stances which caused them to move ; the object, therefore, is to remedy this 

 defect by the application of an arrangement of mechanism situate between the 

 governor and throttle valve, th^action of which is as follows— as the speed of 

 the engine is increased the balls will expand in the ordinary manner and the 

 throttle valve will be partially closed, but as the speed decreases, and conse- 

 quently the balls and arms of the governor collapse, the valve, in place of being 

 ac ted upon as heretofore, so as to open it, and therefore pass over the same space 

 in the collapsing as well as expanding of the governor, will remain quiescent 

 during such motion of the governor until the engine gets below its ordinary 

 speed, at which time the throttle valve will again be acted upon by the 

 governors in a reverse direction so as to open it, and the same circumstances 

 take place as above described with regard to the closing of the valve. 



!yiISCEI.I.ANEA. 



The New Roval Exchange is expected to be opened at the end of the 

 montti of October; Her Majesty witli Prince Albert it is announced are to attend tlie 

 opening. 



The New Building Act.— The Commissioners of Woods have appointed 

 Mr. Higgins and Mr. Hoskins as tlie two Official Referees ; two gentlemen in every way 

 qualilied for the duties. The otiiee for both the Registrar and Referees is fixed at No. 

 4, Trafalgar Square. The day upon which the Act comes into operation, as regards the 

 new districts and buildings, is the Ist January, ltf45. 



The Basilica ok St. Louis at Munich was inaugurated on the 8th Sept., 

 it is built in the style of the basilicas of Italy, and is ornamented with numerous sculp- 

 tures, paintings in oil and fresco, and also stained glass. 



OmiUAEY. — We are sorry to have to announce the demise of Mr. Henry 

 Robinson Palmer, of Great George Street, Civil Engineer, Fellow of the Royal Society, 

 and many years a Vice President of the Institute of Civil Engineers, he was extensively 

 engaged upon numerous public works throughout the United Kingdom, particularly 

 docks and harbours. 



Mr. Nasmvtu versus Captain Waenek.— M'e understand, from undoubted 

 authority, that Mr. Nasmyth, engineer, of Manchester, has submitted to the considera- 

 tion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the plan of an Iron steamer, bomb- 

 proof, which will ertectually destroy any ship or squadron. She is propelled by the Ar- 

 chimedian screw, and, when going at the rate of six knots an hour, she will run stem on 

 to a ship, and leave a hole in her many feet wide, below the surface. It is, in fact, the 

 power of two ships coming in collision with each other at the rate of ten knots an hour, 

 placed, by mechanical means, in the hands of not more than three men. We understand 

 that this invention is now under their lordships* consideration, and there can be no doubt 

 but it will put Captain Warner's invention at a discount. — ' Devonport Independent.' 



Attempted Asce.ms of Mo.\t Blanc. — MM. Bravais and Martins have 

 been for some time engaged in attempts to ascend Mont Blanc, but without success. 

 After spending the intervening time in collecting a series of meteorological and geological 

 observations in the Alpine country which surrounds the mountain, the ascent was llap- 

 pUy effected on the 2tHh ult. The travellers found their tent on the Giand Plateau unin- 

 jured, and formed the design of passing a night each on the summit of the mountain, 

 while their companions (M. Lepileur being now added to the number) encamped in the 

 tent. But the intense cold defeated this part of their project. The thermometer stood 

 at 7 4-10 degrees below zero, in the shade, at a quarter past 2 o'clock in the day, and the 

 ascent was most painful, notwithstanding the fineness of the weather. At a short dis- 

 tance from the summit they were assailed by a piercing wind, and the cold which it 

 brought was so intense, that they describe their sensations on attaining the summit, when 

 tbey had in some measure escaped its severity, as being that of men who had entered a 

 well-warmed saloon. 



Berwick Castle. — That venerable and interesting monument of antiquity, 

 the ancient Castle of Berwick, is to be levelled with the ground, in order to allow space 

 for the terminus of the railway forming between that town and Edinburgh. 



Rhine Steam Navigation. — The Dusseldorf Rhine Steam Navigation Com- 

 pany (in correspondence with theGeneral steam Navigation Company of London) established 

 in IH38, although having already done a great deal towards theimprovement of steam navi- 

 gation on the Rhine, not only as regards speed, but also in comfort and superior restaura- 

 tion on board, appear determined, if possible, to equal the fastest Thames steamers in 

 point of speed. This company have just received from the factory of Messrs. Miller, Ra- 

 venhill, and Co., Blackwall, London, a new iron steamer, which has been named the 

 Elbarfeld, and she, on account of her extraordinary speed over all the steamers now on 

 the Rhine, has created quite a sensation. A few days ago this vessel, previous to being 

 placed in active service, made an experimental voyage from Dusseldorf and Cologne to 

 Mentz and back, and to the astonishment of every one, performed the journey from Co- 

 logne to Mentz, against the strong stream, in U hours and 20 minutes, and from Mentz 

 to Cologne, with the stream, rather under seven hours, inclusive of stoppages. To form 

 a comparison with what the Dusseldorf Company have accomplished, whose vessels are 

 all propelled by English engines, it is necessary to add, that in 1837, previous to their 

 formation, it was held an extraordinary feat to proceed by water in two days from Cologne 

 to Mentz — namely, the first day from Cologne to Coblentz in 14 hours, and the second 

 day from Coblentz to Mentz in 13 hours, making together 'Z7 hours, now performed in 

 half the time and in one day. 



The Earl or Rosse's Leviathan TELEsroPE.- Sir James South m a letter 

 to the Editor of the * Times' observes that it is " with pure delight do I communicate to 

 you, and by your permission, through the ' Times' journal, to the civilized world, the fact 

 that the leviathan telescope, on which the Earl of Rosse has been toiling in his demesne 

 at Parsons-town now upwards of two years, although not absolutely finished, was on 

 Wednesday last directed for the first time, to the sidereal heavens. The letter which I 

 have tliis morning received from its nolile maker, in his usual unassuming style, merely 

 states, that the metal, only jast polished, was of a pretty good figure, and that with a 

 power of 500, the nebula known as No. 2 of Messier's catalogue was even more magnifi- 

 cent than the nebula No. 13 of Messier, when seen with his lordship's telescope of 3 feet 

 diameter and 27 feet focus. Cloudy weather prevented him turning the leviathan on any 

 other nebulous object. Thus, then, we have, thank God, all danger of the metal break- 

 ing before it could be polished overcome. Little more, however, will be done to it or with 

 it for some weeks, inasmuch as the noble £atl is on the eve of qalttiug Ireland for Eng . 



