1S44.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



409 



the steam cylinder to the condenser, " and the piston rod of such cylinder is 

 to be in connection witli the steam," to assist in giving motion tliereto, this 

 cylinder is to bo provided with a slide valve and induction and eduction ways, 

 the [induction way being so constructed as to open into a tank containing 

 ■water, which is to surround the cylinder, tlie eduction way being made to 

 communicate with the ccmdenser, so that the water contained in the cylinder 

 may be tin-own in any suitable manner into the condenser, for condensing 

 the steam that comes from the steam cylinder. The operation of this new 

 combination of parts is stated as follows: supposing the piston of the addi- 

 tional cylinder to be descending the eduction part will be open to the con- 

 denser, and the induction poit will be open to the tank to receive the water 

 uhich will be forced in by the atmosphere, and will force down the piston 

 owing to the vacuum in the condenser, by this arrangement the pressure of air 

 in the additional cylinder will aid the steam in the cylinder in giving motion 

 to the beam of the engine. 



The fourth improvement relates to a mode of traction on canals by means 

 of a partial vacuum produced by the displacement of water, tliis the inventor 

 proposes to effect by means of an apparatus similar to that described in last 

 month's journal, in which will be seen a tranverse section of a pipe having a 

 longitudinal opening or slit on the top side, which is to be provided in the 

 same manner with a valve suitably prepared for withstanding the action of 

 the water. This pipe which is to be placed at tlie bottom of the canal, is 

 provided with a piston and a projecting arm, the same as is now practised 

 with regard to atmospheric transit, the latter being attached by any con- 

 venient means to the boat, thus by removing the water from the pipe in ad- 

 vance of the piston, a partial vacuum will he formed therein, and the piston 

 will be forced along by the pressure "f water and air on the back .side of the 

 piston. The mode of discharging the pipe of water is by means of pumps, or 

 «here the supply of water is great and the situation admits, by means of a 

 branch outlet of not less than 32 or 33 feet long. 



The fifth and last part of these improvements relates to a mode of loading 

 and unloading ships and other vessels of their cargo by means of the tide. 

 This the inventor proposes to efiect by means of an undershot w at^r wheel, 

 mounted upon a raft, whicli can be floated to the ships side, and the power 

 of the water wdieel applied to give motion to suitable machinery or apparatus 

 tor unloading or loading vessels. 



IMPROVEMKNTS IN SHIP BUILDING. 



James Kennedy, of the firm of Bury, Curtis & Kennedy, of Liverpool, 

 ■engineer, and Thomas Vernon, of the same place, iron ship builder, /or '• cer- 

 tain improvements in the building or construction of iron and otlter vessels for 

 navigation on water. — Granted April 15, 184'1; Enrolled October 15, 1844. 



Iron ship building is daily becoming an object of the greatest importance, 

 it having recently been adopted by Government ; it is therefore necessary 

 that ship builders and engineers should turn their immediate attention to the 

 construction of vessels in the strongest manner wiih as small a weight as 

 possible. Heretofore iron vessels have generally been constructed with angle 

 iron, usually employed for the ribs of vessels, and also by uniting one or two 

 pieces of this angle iron with a plain bar of iron, and sometimes with rolled 

 iron of a T form ; both these systems it is well known are not so strong as a 

 bar of iron, having ribs or flanges on both the top and bottom edge, which 

 from experiment has been found to be the most economical manner of con- 

 structing girders in buildings, and also railway bars ; but hitherto this form 

 has never been introduced for shipbuilding: simple as it may appear, it 

 is an improvement in ship building of the greatest importance, in the con- 

 struction of vessels either of iron or wood and iron. 



The patentees claim the introduction of iron rolled in one piece having a 

 flange on one edge projecting on one or both sides, and a rib or flange 

 on the other edge projecting on one or both sides, for the purpose of 

 strengthening the iron to be used for the beams of decks and hulk lieads, and 

 for the ribs or frames of the sides of vessels. They also claim the intro- 

 duction of rolled iron, with a lib or flange on one edge projecting on one or 

 both sides, and a piece of angle iron ri vetted on to the other edge on one or 

 both sides, or instead of angle iron, a piece of T iron ; the patentees de- 

 scribe in their specification thirteen forms of beams, ribs or frames, and also 

 claim the use of any of the different forms of beams or frames for keelsons. 



The drawings annexed to the specification show, among others, the form of 

 four different sizes of beams and frames or ribs now being used by Messrs. 

 Vernon & Co. of Liverpool, in the construction of some large iron vessels they 

 are building. 



BRICK MAKING MACHINE. 



WiLUAM Hodgson, of No. 42, King street, Kingston-upon-Hull, Agent, 

 for " A rnacliine for making and compressing brichs, small paviors, floor bricks^ 

 flat tiles, ornamental bricks, 4'C-, "' one operation." — Granted April 17 ; En- 

 rolled October 17, 1844. 



Ttiis invention relates to certain arrangements of machinery or apparatus 

 for making or moulding and compressing bricks, tiles, &c. ; that part of the 

 invention which relates to the making or moulding bricks, consists in having 

 a mould constructed in such a manner that all its sides shall fall down so 

 that the brick can be removed. The sides and ends of this mould are co- 

 vered with moleskin, which is turned over the upper edge and fastened , 

 thereto by means c,f brass beading or plates and screws ; this mould when in 

 use is placed within an outer mould, which during the making of the brick 

 keeps the sides of the inner mould in a vertical position. The outer mould 

 here spoken of is fi.xed upon a table, on the underside of which there are 

 two or more treadles to suit the convenience of the workmen wfien on dif- 

 ferent sides of the table ; these treadles communicate with a vertical spindle, 

 the upper end of which passes through the table and is attached to the inner 

 mould having the moveable sides; the object of this arrangement being that 

 when a brick has been formed in the inner mould, in the usual way of making 

 bricks, such mould is raised from the outer one by placing the loot upon 

 some of the treadles, the sides of the mould at the same time falling down 

 admits of the brick being removed by means of a pallet board in the or- 

 dinary manner. Upon the same table and near the machine just described is 

 fi.xed the compressing apparatus, which forms the second part of the inven- 

 tion and consists of a mould having its two sides attached to the bottom 

 part by means of hinges, the ends of the mould being movable and capable 

 of approaching each other ; this mould is made to drop within another 

 similar to that just described, and over the mould is a pressing box liaving 

 inclined ends, which come in contact with the movable ends. This pressing 

 box can be raised or lowered upon an arrangement of levers, the parts being 

 so arranged that when the pressing box is lowered for the purpose of com- 

 pressing a brick, the underside of such box comes first in contact with the 

 upper face of the brick, the inclined ends of the pressing box coming at or 

 near the same time into contact with the movable ends of the mould cause 

 the same to approach each other, and thereby compress the brick wliich is 

 contained in the mould. The inventor claims the arrangement of making 

 bricks by means of a mould having falling sides and ends, and also the ar- 

 rangement for making and compressing bricks, paviors, and tiles by a mould 

 with falling sides and moveable ends, as above described. 



BKINE EXTRACrORS. 



Sm,— I shall feel extremely obliged if you can inform me wliat is ll^e most 

 approved method of extracting the brine from tubular boilers. 



I understand that vessels with tubular boilers have been fitted so as to keep 

 constantly blowing off without the use of brine pumps. If you can "ive me 

 any information concerning the arrangements employed for effecting this I 

 shall feel deeply indebted, and remain. 



Your constant reader, 



R. Ricii.\EnsoN. 

 Manchester, Sept. 18, 1844. 



There are three ways in which saturated water, or brine, may be, and is 

 extracted from tubular and other boilers. 



Istly. By the common method of blowing off at stated periods, by means 

 of pipes and cocks connecting witli the bottom of the boilers, and which is, 

 perhaps, the most ellective system, although attended with considerable 

 trouble and loss of heat, as well as the possibility of neglect. 



2ndly. By brine pumps, refrigerators, and other apparatus, such as loaded 

 valves, cocks and pipes, an excessively complicated affair, and we understand 

 very irregular in their action, unless each boiler has its separate pump, 

 pipes, cocks, &c., otherwise the varying pressure in the boilers, arising from 

 unequal evaporation, irregular firing, or other causes, prodrces a greater 

 efllux of water from one boiler than from its neighbours, and so is uncertain in 

 its action. Consequently, this apparatus becomes-very expensive and requires 

 considerable attention in its working. 



3rdly. The btine may be ejected by the pressure of the steam only ; for it 

 must be evident that with brine pumps, a haded valve on the suction of the 

 pump, is required to overcome this pressure. Various schemes have been used 

 to effect this object, among others, a simple valve connected to the boilerand 

 opened by a tappet fixed to the main or paddle shaft, allowing a certain por- 

 tion of the saturated mixture to escape during each stroke, the exact quantity 

 being regulated by a screw. This scheme is open to one objection only ; 

 that the engine may be stopped in such a position that the valve is raised, and 

 thus placing the boiler in jeopardy. If any plan can be devised by which 

 this may be obviated, and the regular action of the valve be ensurced, we are 

 disposed to think favourably of this latter device. — Editor. 



