408 



THE CIYIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[October, 



pieces of tape nliicli are fastened to the rings b,b, and also to the springs 

 tlieir object being to prevent llie apparatus extending beyond a certain length ; 

 d, d, fig. I, is an eiastic covering ot india-rubber fabric, uliicb is drawn over 

 the spiral spring and douM-d down at the ends, and then passed over or upon 

 the projecting pins or screws seen in fig. 3 ; e, e, are plates lia\ing an opening 

 /, provided with a valve uhicli opens inward, and is actuated by a spring in 

 such manner as to press it against the plate, this plate being screwed or 

 rivetted against the rings as seen at figs. 1 and 2, firmly secures the india- 

 rubber fabric or outer covering d, d. Supposing the apparatus to be in a 

 portable or closed slate, as at fig. 2; then in order to inflate it with air ready 

 for use, it is only necessary to take the nautilus and by pressing with the 

 fore finger of e.Hch hand, open the valves//, then by drawing out or extend- 

 ing the apparatus, the nautilus will become inflated with air, which is pre- 

 vented from escajung by the spring valves//; i, i, is a spring clasp for fas- 

 tening the nautilus or life preserver and swimming belt, round the body of 

 the wearer. 



MOSAIC WORK. 



John Rodert Dicksee, of Old Compton Street, Soho, Square, Middlesex^ 

 artist, for " improvements in tite manufacture of mosaics.*^ — Granted March 30 ; 

 Enrolled September 30, 1844. 



The material employed by the inventor for producing mosaic work is prin- 

 cipally opaque glass, but he also employs transparent glass, the mosaic pieces 

 may be made of any size or colour, or of any combination of colours, the 

 same (according to this invention) being produced by casting, moulding, or 

 pressing, and in order to jjroduce the larger pieces uf mosaic work, the in- 

 ventor takes two smooth iilates cf metal, in one of which there is a hole or 

 holes of the required size and form for the mosaic piece to be produced, this 

 hole or holes are to be made a little taper or somewhat wider on one side of 

 the plate than the other, this plate is then laid upon the smooth metal plate 

 with the widest side of the holes downward or next to the smooth plate, the 

 hole in the upper plaie is then filled with glass in a fused state, either opaque 

 or transparent ; and the same is pressed by means of a screw or lever and 

 plunger, the object of pressing of glass in the manner described, is that a 

 smooth and polished face is produced which may form the upper part of the 

 mosaic work ■, by this process of moulding a great variety of pieces msy be 

 produced. For moulding smaller pieces of mosaic work, the inventor pro- 

 poses to have plates as above described, one of which is to have a number of 

 holes formed through it of a size and f jrm intended for the pieces of mosaic 

 work to be produced, these plates are then to be clamped together, and a 

 quantity ofglass in a fused state placed at one end, the plates together with 

 the fused glass is then passed between a pair of rollers which will press the 

 glass into the Iioles of the plate, the glass being afterwards taken out and 

 annealed in the ordinary manner. 



AV'hen joining a number of pieces of mosaic work together, the inventor 

 proceeds by stretching a piece of calico tightly upon a slate or slab, the sur- 

 face of the calico is then to be rubbed over «ith wax or gum, for the purpose 

 of holding the jiicces of mosaic work together which are to be arranged, with 

 their faces downward, according to the pattern or design intended, the several 

 pieces forming the design are then fixed together by applying a cement over 

 the whole, the inventor prefers tliat knoun as patent Portland cement- 



From readnig the specification it appears that the principal olject of the 

 invention is the casting, moulding or pressing the pieces of mosaic work, and 

 als) the application of opaque glass in successive pieces placed side by side, 

 or alternate, and in combination with transparent or coloured glass. 



SHEAVES AND BLOCKS FOR SHIPPING. 



Geore William Lenox and John Jones, of Billiter Square, in the city of 

 L^mdon, merchants, for *' Improvements i« the vmnufaeture of Sheaves and 

 Sliells fur blocks, and of Bolt rings or Washers, for the purpose of shijnvrights 

 and engineers." — Granted April 10 ; Enrolled October 10, 1844. 



This invention consists in manufacturing shells and sheaves for blocks, 

 and also bolt rings or washers for engineering purposes of malleable cast 

 iron, which is to be afterwards annealed. In carrying out this invention, the 

 jacntees cast the sheaves and shells for blocks in the ordinary manner of 

 casting articles of malleable cast iron, without confining themselves to the 

 peculiar form or shape of the Ijlock or sheave, which may be varied without 

 departing from the nature of the invention, which is the manufacture of the 

 articles above described of malleable cast iron, and afterwards annealing the 

 same. The specification ce cribes the sheaves as being cast hollow, and that 

 the shells are very light and of great strength, and that very durable articles 

 may be produced by malleable cast iron afterwards annealed, and which may 

 be eHected by placing the blocks and washers into an annealing oven and 

 surroumling them with Cumberland or Lancashire iron ore, .and then sub- 

 jecting them to a red heat, as is well understood by those who are in the 



-^TDgO^ 



habit of manufacturing articles of malleable cast iron. The patentees claim 

 the manufacturing sheaves and shells of blocks and also bolt rings or washers 

 for shipwriglits and engineers, of malleable cast iron. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES. 



Frijderick Brown, of Luton, Beilfordshire. ironmonger, for " Improvements 

 in .s/ot'fs."— Granted April 10; Enrolled October 10, IS^t. 



The object of this invention is to construct a stove which will be less liable 

 to accident, and also much cleaner 

 than those of ordinary construction. 

 The accompanying figure which, is a 

 sectional elevation, shows the interior 

 and peculiar construeiinn of this im- 

 proved stove : a a is what the inventor 

 terms the fire pail, and is provided 

 with a door, b, for supplying the stove 

 with fuel, coke broken into small 

 pieces being that which is intended to 

 be consumed in this description of 

 stove ; c shows one of the grate bars, 

 and d an opening through which the 

 ashes are to be removed, this opening 

 is provided with a door constructed 

 with a ventilator for regulating the 

 supply of air to the fire ; the apparatus 

 above described is supported by three 

 pillars, two only of which are seen in 

 the drawing, and marked e ; / is a 

 conical top supported by two jiillars, 

 g, one of which is shown in dotted 

 lines; this conical top is entirely se- 

 parate and distinct from the fire pail, 

 and forms -an annular space between 



the top of the fire pail and the projecting' rib ;' ot the conical top, so as to 

 allow of a current of air passing through such space, which has the double 

 effect of preventing any accident accruing from the pipes becoming [over- 

 heated, and also the thorough ventilation of the room in wdiich the stove is 

 placed ; the products arising from combustion pass ofl through the aperture 

 k into the pipe. Another advantage is stated to be, that the fire pail a can 

 be removed for cleaning out the ashes and laying a fresh fire, thus avoiding 

 the dust which would unavoidably arise from such operation. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES AND TRACTION ON CANALS. 



John Aitke.n, of Surrey Square, Surrey, gentleman, for " improvements in 

 water maeliines or engines and steam engines, and the mode of traction on or in 

 canals or other waters." — Granted April 10^; Enrolled October 10, 1844. 



The first improvement set forth in this specification has reference to a pe- 

 culiar mode of working dredging machines : this the inventor proposes to 

 effect by means of undershot water wheels, which wheels are to be attached 

 to the side of the barge or boat containing the dredging machinery, and 

 worked by the flow of the tide ; the inventor not confining himself to any 

 peculiar mode of constructing or transmitting motion from the water wheels 

 to the dredg ng machinery, which latter may be of the ordinary construction^ 

 The second improvement relates to a mode of raising stone or other heavy 

 bodies by means of a vacuum produced by^displacing water : this apparatus 

 consists of a tank divided by a plate into two compartments, upon this plate 

 is fixed a cylinder provided with a piston and piston rod, similar to an ordi- 

 nary steam engine cylinder, the piston rod being connected by some con- 

 venient arrangement to a crane, this cylinder is provided with a valve or 

 slide, and also with eduction and induction ports, the induction ports com- 

 municate with the water placed in the^ lower part of the tank, the eduction 

 ways communicate with the lower part of the tank only, the object of this 

 arrangement being that as the water is raised from the lower part of the tank, 

 which is effected by means of a pump, a partial vacuum will be formed in the 

 cylinder on the upper or underside of the piston depending upon the position 

 of the same. .Suppose for instance the plate to be at the top of the cylinder, 

 then by pumping out the water from the lower compartment of the tank a 

 vacuum will be formed in the lower part of the cylinder, and the water from 

 the tank will be forced by the pressure of the atmosphere into the upper part, 

 or top side of the piston, w hich wili cause the same to descend, the slides or 

 valve is then moved and a similar action takes place with regards to the up 

 stroke of the piston. The third improvement relates to certain improvements 

 in condensing steam engines, and consists in the application of a cylinder 

 having a piston and piston rod, this cylinder is to be of such dimen- 

 sions as to contain as much water as will condense the steam flowing from 



