366 



THE CIVIL EXGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[December, 



to the train. The ; 

 the train out cf the 

 several stations. 



r thus condensed is intended to be cmpIoyeJ in movin g 

 iidings, or from one line of rails to the other at tha 



WASHING AND MANGLING MACHINE. 



Samitl ^ylLKl^■soN, of T3al1oon-street, Leeds, mecdianic, for "A certain 

 machine, to he called a patent washhtfy, wringing, and mangling machine .'* 

 Granted April i" ; enrolled October 14, 1845. 



The novelty of this invention consists in combining the three machines in 

 one, whereby a fjreat saving in room and expense is effocted. The washing 

 machine consists of a semi-cylindrical Uix, in the centre of which there is a 

 shaft supporting a frame consisting of a number of bars of wood, or suitable 

 metal, such as brass. Motion is given to this frame, so as to cause it to 

 vibrate backwarils and forwards in the same cylindrical trough, by means of 

 a handle keyed on the end of the shaft ; the process is therefore eflected by 

 placing the clothes, with suitable washing liquor, wjthin the trough, about 

 equal ijuanti ties on each side; the vibrating frame thereof, which is to be 

 worked to and fro until the clothes are sufficiently cleansed ; after which, 

 they may be wrung by passing them through the wringing and manglin„ 

 machine, wdiich consists of a pair of wood rollers, suppcrted in a framing ai 

 the end of the washing machine, so that the clothes may be passed directly 

 from the washing micbine through ihe rollers for the purpose of wringing 

 In order to efil'cl the mangling process, the top roller, which is weighted 

 by an arrangement of levers, is capable of being raised from the lower by 

 means of a cord attached to the weighting lever, and made to pass round an 

 axis, upon which is a ratchet-wheel and fly-wheel, so that by turning the 

 alter, the top roller may be raised from the botiom one, round which th e 

 c'othes are to be folded by tuitablc mangling cloths. The top roller may 

 then he lowered so as to press on the under one containing the clothes. Ro- 

 tatory moti in is then given to the rollers, by means of a handle, until the 

 clothes are sufficiently mangled. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER PIPES. 

 Tkeeman Roe, of the Strand, engineer, for "Improvements in the mamifac - 

 inre of pipes for conveying water and other fluids'' Granted 22 April; E.i- 

 lolleii 22 October, I84j. 



This invention consists of manufac'.nring pipes, for conveying water ami 

 other fluids, of glass, in place of iron, as heretofore. Tlie invention propos es 

 10 prepare the glass by means of a hot air furnace, after which, it is to be 

 manufactured into piping in the following manner. In the drawing annexed 

 a shows a pot or cauldron, made of, or lined with clay or other suitable com- 

 position; h is a hollow iron mandrell, covered with baked clay, the diameter 

 of which is to be somewhat smaller than the bore or calibre of the pipe in- 

 tended to be made. This mandrell passes through a hole at the back side of 

 the pot of Ihe same diameter as the mandreli, and luted therein ; the end of 

 the mandrell also passes through a bole at the front side of the pot, and is 

 supported in a suitable manner in the centre of such hole, so as to form an 

 annular space through which tbe metal passes, as will be hereafter explained 

 re is a boUow mould in two parts, attached to each other by means of a 

 lunge joint, so as to be readily turned over, and thereby form a complete 

 mould for the pipe when required ; rf is a hollow rod enlarged at the end e 

 to as to form an enlongated cup ; behind this cup there is a circular projection 

 or enlargmcnt of the rod, which keeps the same in the centre, or propef 

 place. 



In making pipes according to this invention,'the glass is to be put into the 

 pot a, and an air liydrogen jet director either upon it, in the put, or whilst 

 issuing from the p(it. The glass having been put in the pot, the enlarged 

 end of the hollow rod d, which has previously been made hot, is inserted 

 into the annular hole, when the glass which adheres to the end is drawn 

 tbrough such annular space by the aforesaid rod, which reserves, during the 

 process of drawing, a rotary motion. During the operation above described^ 

 a current of air is directed through the hollow mandril and rod by suitable 

 machinery. At the other end of the rod there is a stop-cock, or suitable 

 valve, which, alter the glass has been drawn into the mould, and the half c' 

 turned over to complete the same, the current is suddenly stopped by closing 

 the valve, which lias the eflect of forcing the glass against the sides of the 



mould, and thereby forms the pipe, whicli is afterwards removed to the ana- 

 lising oven. 



The specification, after showing a number of modes of joining the pipes 

 by means of brass or iron cuplings, claims the manufacture of or from glass, 

 or of or from the vitreous materials of which glass is or may be made, of 

 pipes for conveying water or other fluids. 



ARTIFICIAL FUEL. 



FEEnnaiCK R.vnsO'ME, of Ipswich, engineer, for "/m/jroirmCT^s in eombinim; 

 smalt coal and other matters^ and in preserving tvuody — Granted May 10 ; En- 

 rolled November 10, 1845. 



Tills invention consists in a method if using a solution of silica with small 

 coal and wood, for the purpose of cementing th'm together, and in some 

 cases for preserving wood. Tbe solution of silica is made by dissolving 100 

 lb. of sub-carbonale of soda, known in commerce as soda, in so much water as 

 will make the solution of tlie specific gravity 1150 at a temperature of 60' 

 Fah., the carbonate of soda is then rendered caustic by adding lime ; or in 

 place of carbonate of soda the inventor sometimes employs 501b. of carbonate 

 of potash. This caustic alkaline solution is then put in an iron vessel with 

 about 100 lb. of finely broken flints; the above mixture is then to be submitted 

 to a temperature of aboutSOO" Fah. for 10 or 12 hours, ami well incorporated, 

 after which it is to be passed through a sieve to free it from tbe grosser par- 

 ticles, and finally evaporated till the specific gravity is about I'oOO at a tem- 

 perature of 60° Fall., afier which the mixture is rendered fit f r use either by 

 adding finely ground flint or sand, or by adding water, depending upon the 

 consistency required. 



In cementing small coal, the inventor takes 100 parts of coal and from 10 

 to 20 parts of the above siliceous part or cement, and after mixing them to- 

 gether, ihe same are to be pressed inio blocks of suitable size by hydrostatic 

 or mechanical pressure, and afterwards dried ready fur use. The inventor 

 proposes to put one or more pieces of wood in the form of a case, into the 

 moulds so as to form a hole or holes through the blocks to render the com- 

 bustion of the same more perfect. 



In cementing timber the inventor proposes to saturate or impregnate if 

 with a solution of silica in such manner as to cement the fibrous part of tbe 

 wood so as to form a solid and durable mass. For this purpose tbe timber is 

 placed in a suitable vessel or receiver, from which the air is to be exhausted 

 by means of pumps ; the above solution of silica is then admitted, which will 

 enter in a great measure the pores of the wood, but in order to do so more 

 effectually, force pumps may he employed ; after this process the timber is to 

 be immersed in a solution of muriatic acid and water, which will render the 

 same insoluble. 



The inventor claims the use of the above solution for the purpose described ; 

 also the making of block of fuel with holes through them to render the com- 

 bustion more perfect. 



THE COMING DECISION— THE GOVERNMENT COM- 

 MISSION ON THE GAUGES. 



We have abstained, on principle, from all interference with the pro- 

 gress of the investigations of the Royal Commission on the Gauges — we 

 have abstained from all commentary on the evidence as it has proceeded — 

 we have even abstained from publishing any extracts from, or abstracts of 

 tiie evidence, although we have been made acquainted with the progress 

 of that evidence from time to time. A\'e do not mean now to anticipate 

 the probable nature of the decision ; we disclaim the slightest pretence to 

 knowing what that decision may be. We are advocates of neither gauge, 

 in the abstract, for we cannot see any mysterious or cabalistic power 

 either in the numbers 84 or 57, which represent in inches the respective 

 broad and narrow gauges. We are not sure that some intermediate num- 

 ber, such as GO, 72, or 75, might not prove more magical than either. 

 Practically, we believe that an ill-conditioned, ill-managed line on the 

 broad gauge would be about as much worse than a well-conditioned, well- 

 managed line on the narrow gauge, as a good broad gauge line would be 

 better than a bad narrow gauge. Practically, also, it does not appear, as 

 far as we happen to know, that any broad gauge line has hitherto achieved 

 much more than the narrow gauge line. The precise optimum gauge we 

 presume, therefore, to be a subject on which it would be idle to theorise, 

 and absurd to dogmatise. 



There is one point, however, which it is entirely within our province lo 

 submit to the Commission, which it is indeed our duty to represent to 

 them, and which it is not likely that, in the conflict of the opposing state- 

 ments by mere partizaus of either gauge, they have had fairly presented to 

 them: a few words on this subject we take the liberty, with perfect de- 

 ference, to place before them. We conceive it therefore to be most im- 

 portant to Ihe public interests, we know it to be anxiously desired by the 

 great railway interests of the country, that we should have a decisive 

 JUDGMENT OQ the case at issue : — uot a rehearsal of balancing opiuioDS, . 



