IS47.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



89 



number of swing floats, which oppn one way, to admit of little resistance 

 to tlie return stroke. These propellers, whicli move in a line vertical with 

 the rudder of the vessel or boat, are thrust or driven, by the action of the 

 steam pistuu, forward in the direction with the line of motion of the vessel 

 or boat ; the mode of reversing being the alteration in the direction of the 

 float hoards to the required direction. The patentee claims under the first 

 head of his speciGcation the mode of, or apparatus for, propelling boats or 

 vessels from the stern by suitable means hereinafter described. 



The second part of the specification relates to the mode of an apparatus 

 for i}ropellinf: vessels or boats by the means of circulatory revolving pad- 

 dles. In constructing flo,it wheels according to this invention, instead of 

 applying float boaids to hollow frame ■wheels, the patentee attaches them 

 to cyliadric drums having suitable recesses formed in their peripheries for 

 their reception. Fig. 1 represents an end view of the improved wheel, and 

 gg. 2 a sectional side elevation taken throuph the dotted lines, A B. no, 

 ■ s the cylindrical drum which may be of metal or any other light sub- 

 stance, such as cork, wood, or otherwise, i /», are float motion rods, at- 

 tached at right angles by the hinge or joint rf, to the float boards c c. e e, 

 are small friction rollers, which turn on centres at the ends of the motion 

 rods h b, for the purpose of directing the position of the float boards ; ff g, 

 are slottled bridles or guides, in which the friction rollers ee travel ; these, 

 rollers, when moving concentric with the drum an, remain stationary, but 

 when they diverge into the eccentric channel li It, they cause the free use 

 of the float boards to move outwards, till, on arriving at a point coincident 

 with a vertical line drawn through the centre of the drum, they present the 

 whole of their surfaces to the water, as seen at /; i i, is a crank shaft 

 passing through stufliog boxes, k k ; jj, is a water-tight casing, enclosing 

 the paddle-wheels. The inventor states that wheels so constructed are to 

 be placed in the hold of a vessel or boat, on each side of the keel, trans- 

 versely, and driven by steam or other motive power engines; and he claims 

 under this second head of his invention, the mode of, or apparatus for, 

 propelling vessel^ or boats, by circuiatory revolving paddles, as herein- 

 before explained. 



The third part of the specification relates to the construction of vessels 

 or boats formed with bottoms of double curves and double bilges, the 

 object of which is to enable those on b')ard to ballast the vessel or boat 

 when necessary ; for this purpose the patentee employs an air-pump in 

 connection with a bulk bead, or longitudinal channel in the hold of the 

 vessel or boat ; each boat or vessel having double curved bottoms, with 

 double bilges, are formed like two boats or vessels placed side by side ; 

 these double curved bottoms are boarded over, forming the floor of the 

 vessel or boat, and between which an air-pump and suitable apparatus is 

 employed to drive the bilge water out, or let other in ; the action of valves 

 opening outwards as well as inwards causing the water (by a pressure of 

 air from the air-pump, on the surface of the same, between the bulk-head 

 or longitudinal chamber) tj be driven out through the bilge at the bottom 

 of the vessel. The inventor claims under this third head of his invention, 

 the method of, or apparatus for, constructing vessels with double curves 

 and bilges, for purposes of ballasting, or driving the bilge water from the 

 vessel or boat, through suitable valves in the bottom of the vessel or boat. 



The fourth part of the specification relates to the mode of, or apparatus 

 for, propelling boats, vessels, barges, carriages, and vehicles, by the means 

 of pulley wheels attached to the vessel, or carriage, to be propelled, and 

 driven by steam or other motive power, by fixing a rope or chain at each 

 end of the road, or canal, and passing it over the pulley wheels in a suit- 

 able manner to be acted upon. 



The patentee claims lastly, the mode of, or apparatus for, propelling ves- 

 sels, boats, barges, carriages, carls, agricultural implements, and vehicles, 

 by the application of wheels, pullies, ropes, or chains, for the purposes 

 herinbefore described. 



TESSELLATED WORK. 



Henrv Austin, and Thomas Webster Kammell, of 10, Walbrook, 

 London, civil engineers, for " Improvemeitts in wood mosaic^ and tessellated 

 work." — Granted June 20; Enrolled, December 20, 184C. 



The improvements relate, first, in the application to wood mosaic and tes- 

 sellated work of an elastic and easily-compressil/le material, surrounding 

 each separate square or tessera. Second, to the mode of putting together and 

 forming such work when the tessera is square, with such elastic and easily- 

 compressible material surrounding each square or tessera, as shown in figs. 

 1,2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 



Fig. 1, shows a block of wood mosaic, and tessellated work, in its final 

 state of preparation, with a full design or pattern running through it, and 

 merely requiring to be cut into sheets of the required thicknesses, for 

 use in the manner al'ter described. Figs. 2 to 5 represent five difi'erent blocks 

 of the various coloured woods, forming part of the design or pattern in fig. 1. 

 Fig. 7 represents a block of the wood mosaic, and tessellated work, showing 

 the introduction into the design or pattern of diagonal work. 



Planks of convenient thickness, of well-seasoned woods, of the colours 

 and descriptions desired, and as to colour, either naturally coloured or to 

 be produced artificially, are to be taken at the stage of the manufacture 

 hereinafter pointed out, and cut into separate pieces of a convenient 

 length and width (say 9 in. by 4^. in.) They are planed to an exact tbick- 

 nees, corresponding with the size of the square or tessera of the intended 



mosaic, these pieces being regulated according to the design intended. Then 

 sheets of cork are taken and carefully cut or prepared to a thickness in pro- 

 portion to the size of the square or tessera, (about tt'tt"') > '^''- ™'''' '' ^''^^ 

 trimmed or fitted to the length and width of the before-mentioned pieces of 

 wood ; and pieces of wood and sheets of cork are then glued or ce- 

 mented alternately together, forming them into different blocks, such blocks 

 being regulated in number by the number of the compartments into which 



^■■asBHiriBaEiiiBH 



Fig. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 3. 



Pig. 4, 



Fig. 5. 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 



the intended design or pattern may be divided ; for instance, in the desig 

 or pattern shown at fig. l,the full design or pattern, it will be seen, i 

 divided into, or consists of, five compartments, and there are, consequently] 

 five of these blocks, similar to figs. 2 to 6, each block being confined to its 

 distinct compartment of the full design or pattern, as shown at e,f, g, h, i, 

 in fig. 1 ; and in forming and making up these blocks, the diflVrent coloured 

 and description of pieces are to be arranged in the order required to form 

 the pattern. These blocks are next cut up, arranged, and prepared, after 

 the following manner, viz. ; — when it is desired that the mosaic should be 

 prepared with the grain or fibre of the wood vertical, or nearly so, first cut 

 the blocks so arranged, in half, in the direction of the dotted line, </ fig. 2, 

 and then cut each of the halves into separate planks, or pieces of the re- 

 quired thicknesses, in the direction of the dotted lines, b, b, b, as shown in 

 fig. 2 ; and when it is desired that the mosaic should be prepared with the 

 grain or fibre of the wood horizontal, then cut the blocks so arranged across, 

 in the direction of the dotted lines, c, c, c, as shown in fig. 6. Afterwards 

 plane these separate planks or pieces to the exact size of the square or tes- 

 sera of the work, and then proceed to make up the block of the full desigu 

 or pattern, as shown at fig. 1, in the following manner : — take the plank 

 from each of the separate blocks, 2 to 6, and then glue them together, in 

 the order of the pattern and of the numbers of the blocks, with other sheets 

 of cork cut and prepared, and of the thickness as before described, alternately 

 together ; then continue on as before, repeating the making up of the full de- 

 sign to the desired length of the block, as shown at fig. 1, as to which, about 

 thirty inches will be found a convenient length. The block thus obtained 

 is then to be sawn in the direction shown by the dotted line, rf, d, d, into 

 sheets of the thickness desired (say -nr^hs of an inch), and each sheet mill 

 present precisely the same design or pattern, and each square or tessera be 

 surrouncled by the cork so introduced in the work as before mentioned, and 

 be in a state for use according to the purpose for which it is intended, ex- 

 cepting that, in cases where wood to be artificially coloured is used, these 

 sheets, or such parts of them as are intended to be artificially coloured, will 

 first require to undergo that process, which is well known, it being at this 

 stage of the manufacture that it is preferred to colour the wood when it 

 is artificially coloured. 



This mosaic and tessellated work is applicable to flooring, panelling, and 

 veneering, for building purposes ; also to all purposes of cabinet work, fur- 

 niture, and useful and fancy articles for which veneers are now commonly 

 used, and in the finer sorts, where the square or tessera does not exceed 

 three-fourths of an inch, may be used as a loose covering. When used for 



13 



