^w 



122 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



drawn under the bottom of the vessel as far as possible, was there secured. 

 The leaks uhich occurred further aft were also staunched, and where the 

 rock protruded it Has broken away. 



The pumps being now set to work by the vessel's own engines, the sail and 

 oakum was drawn into the leaks by the pressure from without, and kept the 

 vessel perfectly dry ; every thing being ready, preparations were made to 

 heave her ofl'; the cables which were got out astern and on the larboard 

 quarter, in order to keep her off a dangerous reef of rocks on the starboard 

 side were hove taught ; at high water the Victory steamer arrived in order to 

 steer the Vanguard when got off, she being unman.ageable, having her rudder 

 imshipped ; at the top of high water a continual strain was kept on the 

 cables, when a heavy sea struck the vessel, raising her off the rocks, she re- 

 ceded with it and glided off with the velocity of 8 or 9 miles per hour, she 

 was then steamed by her own engines until a considerable way inside Cork 

 harbour, when she was run upon a sand bank, and allowed to remain until 

 next tide, when slje was brought up to Passage to undergo repairs. The ex- 

 pense of getting her off did not, it is believed, exceed 200/. The vessel cost 

 25,000/. only 12 months previously. She was insured for 15,000/. 



SELECTIONS FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF 

 THE SOCIETY OF ARTS, 



For the Session 1843-44. 

 ANNULAR SCUPPER-MOUTH FOR .SHIP'S DECKS. 



The Silver Isis Medal i 

 race, Netting Hill, 

 Plate IX. 



] presented to Couimander H. Downes, R.N., of Ladbroke Ter- 

 : Ills Annular Scupper-mouth for Ship's Decks. Fig. 12, 



The improved scupper-mouth originated in 1831, from Commander Downes 

 having seen a frigate's main deck on the coast of Africa constantly flooded 

 during heavy rains, owing to the gangway-scuppers being unable to carry off 

 the water fast enough. In 1837-8, a model was'presented to the Admiralty, 

 when they were fitted in H. M. S. Pique, and a favourable report was made 

 thereon. 



Figure 11, Plate IX. show.i the [scupper-mouth in ordinary use. with its 

 aperture A, and the plan and sections of the scupper-mouth, as improved 

 by Commander Downes, and which are drawn to a scale one-sixleenth 

 of the full size: The new scupper-mouth consists of two copper rings; 

 the largest, B, is let flush into the deck, and screwed down thereto over the 

 scupper C, being four times the area of the old one; D is the smaller ring, 

 which is moveable, and fits accurately into B. When the deck is required to 

 be washed, or in times of heavy rain, the ring D is taken out, and thus the 

 aperture is rendered sufficiently large to enable the water to be carried off 

 rapidly. It would be dangerous, however, to leave so large an opening in the 

 deck, except when required as above. And thus the small ring D is rendered 

 necessary in order to prevent accidents. 



IMPROVED CLAMP FOR JOINERS. 



The Silver Isis Medal was presented to Mr. Bowery, of Bermondsey, for bis Improved 

 Clamp for Joiners. Fig. 12, Plate IX. 

 Figure 12, Plate IX., shows an end elevation of Mr. Bowery's im- 

 proved clamp for joiners. &c.. which consists simply of a wooden bed, of 

 oblong shape, having fi.\ed on the top thereof, and towards one end, two 

 checks, B B, of the same material ; the inner sides of which are fixed at an 

 ar\gle ot 27° to each other, and chamfered inwards to receive two moveable 

 wedges, •- C, by which the piece of wood E intended to be planed is fixed. 

 Several pieces of wood, placed edgewise, may also be planed at the same time. 



SELF-ADJUSTING STEP-LADDER FOR WHARFS. 



The Silver Isis Medal was presented to Mr. P. Lucas, of ly, Hyde Park Gardens, for a 

 Self-adjustini; Step-ladder for Wharfs. Fig. 13, Plate IX. 



A model of Mr. Lucas's self-adjusting step-ladder for wharfs, quays, &c., 

 to or from which persons may conveniently ascend or descend, by a series of 

 steps, or walk along a plane .surface, whether the vessel be eii her above, below, 

 or on a level with the wharf, is placed in the Society's Repository. The 

 railed plank in present use is in general, when the tide is low, very inconve- 

 nient to ascend ; so much su,that an upper and a lower quay, communicating 

 with each other by fi.xed steps, are always necessary to lessen the acclivity of 

 the inclined plane, but which lower quay can be entirely dispensed with by 

 using the adjusting ladder. 



It may also be advantageously applied in place of the small ladders usually 

 attached to ships, the height of which, with regard to the wharf, must be 

 constantly altering, trom the variation of the tide and the weiglit contained 

 in the vessel. 



The construction is as follows :— A series of steps of wood, of about the 

 usual proportions, is placed in a straight line, so as to have the appearance 

 of a long plank of wood, as the steps J J J shewn in fig. 13*, which reprtsents a 



side elevation of the ladder in a horizontal position ; each step is supported 

 at one end by pins fastened into two parallel rods or bars of wood, one of 

 which E F, is represented in fig. 13* ; these pins act as axes to the steps, the 

 other ends of which are supported by rods or bars K K K, attached to two 

 parallel pieces of wood, forming the rails of the ladder, of which H I repre- 

 sents one, which is kept parallel to E F by the pins as above while in motion. 

 As H E F I, figs. 13 and 13*, is a parallelogram, the steps can be fastened at 

 right angles to H E by means of the rods, or bars K K K in such a position 

 that the dotted lines between the points of support of each step are always 

 parallel to II E, by which, if the bar H E be kept perpendicular, the steps 

 will always be horizontal in whatsoever position the rest of the ladder be 

 placed. 



The height of the steps from one to the other will depend upon the pro- 

 portion that their respective widths have to the whole length of the ladder. 

 When the tide is high, the ladder moves as represented by the dotted lines in 

 fig. 5, where the steps apparently fall ; they cannot, however, act to such an 

 extent as in the former case, being prevented by the slanting bars touching 

 the succeeding steps. This is of comparatively little consequence, as the sur- 

 face of the vessel can never be much above the wharf. 



When it is essential that the barge should be kept close to the wharf-side, 

 the ladder must not be placed at right angles to the wharf, but parallel thereto 

 and secured to overhanging supports, it being evident that the ladder will take 

 up much more room in the former than in the latter position, of which the 

 width of the barge will not always admit. The model sent is applicable in 

 either way. 



IMPROVED PLUMBER'S FORCE. 



The Sum of Three Pounds was presented to Mr. A. W. FraukUn, of Fleet Lane, for his 

 Improvnd Plumber's Force. Fig. U, Plate IX. 



Mr. Franklin's improved force consists of a piece of inch-iron gas-pipe A A, 

 from 12 to 14 inches in length, on one end of which is screwed a proper stuf- 

 fing-box B, and on the other the valve-bos C. The plunger, or piston, D 1), 

 consists of a brass triplet-drawn tube, having a solid brass plug E fixed in at 

 the bottom, and furnished at the top with a wooden knob to form a handle F; 

 the plunger works through the stuffing-box B, whii:h is packed with cotton- 

 yarn, soaked in tallow. The leather hose is attached to the bottom end of 

 the force in the ordinary way. 



IMPROVED CRAMP FOR JOINERS. 



The Silver Isis Medal was presented to Mr. S. Nicholls. 19, Harrold's Row, Green Bank, 

 St. George's East, for his improved Cramp for Joiners and others. Fig. 16, Plate IX. 



The improvement on the ordinary cramp, as effected by Mr. Nicholls, con- 

 sists in dividing the weight of metal usually put into one bar, as at B, into 

 two distinct bars. A and B, which are set perfectly parallel with each other, 

 the object being to give additional strength to the instrument and to prevent 

 racking, to which the ordinary cramp is liable. The jaw C is at right angles 

 to A and B, and has two perforations through which the parallel bars A and 

 B move freely ; it has also two circular holes ihiough which are passed puis 

 to secure it to the parallel bars at different distances, to suit timbers of various 

 sizes, the bars having corresponding holes perforated at equal distances. 



EXPANDING CENTRE-BIT. 



The Silver Isis Medal and Two Pounds were presented to Mr. J. Franklin, of 91, Gosivell 

 Road, for his Expanding Centre-bit. Fig. IC, Plate IX. 



This invention consists simply of two arms, A and B, working close to each 

 other, and connected together towards the end D, to be inserted in a stock by 

 a rivetted pin G. the shorter arm containing the cutter E F, the longer one 

 the centre-pin G. on which the bit works. The arm B has a perforation H to 

 admit the screw 1. In order to regulate the exact size of the hole to be cut 

 by the bit, the user applies his rule between the centre-pin and the lip of the 

 cutter E F. so as to get the radius of the required circle, at the same time 

 loosening Ihe screw 1, which is fastened into the longer arm, and works in a 

 chase in the shorter or cutting arm, the head of the screw keeping the two 

 arms tightly together when set for an operation. Three of these bits consti- 

 tute a set. The first, or smallest one, being calculated for holes of from J of 

 an inch to i an inch, the second from h an inch to an inch, and the third 

 from 1 inch to 2 inches. The ordinary bits to answer the above end, would 

 cost the user from 11*. to l'2s., whereas this complete set is furnished at is., 

 thereby eflecdng a saving of upwards of GO per cent. 



CHANTER'S MOVEABLE FIRE-BARS AND SMOKE-CONSUMING 

 APPARATUS. 



The object of the moveable fire-bar is to prevent the accumulation of 

 clinker in the grate, and to keep the air-channels at all times open ; it con- 

 sists in moving the alternate bars longitudinally in contrary directions by a 

 system of levers, moved either by hand or by a connexion with a steam- 

 engine. For a 30-horse boiler, J h. p. is required to effect the regular and 

 continuous movement of the bars. 



