,1847.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



110 



passing under llie water in the ordinary way, and when it emerges, the 

 water escapes siniiiltaneously from each narrow board; this principle was 

 not followed up by its inventor, and was afteinards palented by Galloway, 

 since which it has been very generally adopted. The principle of reefing 

 ihe paddle wheels is also used, so that when the vessel is deeply im 

 mersed, the leverage of the paddles can be shortened, and when light, it 

 can be lengthened, and can thus be always adjusted to the power of the 

 engines. 



As ecoiioniy of fuel is an object of the greatest importance, so in long 

 voyages it is advisable to employ the wind as a moving power, as much as 

 possible, when favourable : it became therefore desirable to contrive a 

 simple means of detaching Ihe paddle-wheels from the engines, so as to 

 allow tlieni to turn round with the motion of the vessel through the water, 

 and thus to prevent llieni from impeding her way ; various contrivances of 

 this kind have been invented bui one of the most simple, and which is now 

 much eni|'lii>ed. was invented by Braithwaite and Milner ; it consists of a 

 friction iliiKh attached to the paddle-shaft, which, by means of keys and 

 screws, can be lightened or slackened with facility, and thus the pa<ldle- 

 wheel is ailacliKl or released at pleasure. Numerous attempts have been 

 made to iiiMddiice ilie rotative engine without pistons, but they have 

 hitherto nut b. en successful. 



The gr*':U results rendered by steam navigation induced the mechanical 

 world to lurn iln ir attention towards the extension and improvement of it ; 

 Boultou and W alt, iMaudslay, Field, Robert and David Napier, Jessop, 

 Glynn, Barnes, Miller, Havenbill, Girdwood, Manby, Spiller. Scott, Sin- 

 clair, Caird, Todd, Fawcett, Bury, Forester, Seaward, Penn, Fairbairn, 

 Hall, Keunie, and numerous other able men devoted their minds to it, and 

 have produced some splendid examples of engines and mechanism in that 

 depariment. When we look back to Symington's original engine, in 1788, 

 it appears to have been so changed as scarcely to be recognisable as the 

 same, and from a speed of 5 to 6 miles an hour in smooth water, we now 

 find that a speed of 8 and 9 miles an hour against a heavy gale and head 

 wind in the Atlanlic, and above 17 miles in still water, has been obtained, 

 whilst improvements are in progress which lead us to anticipate at no very 

 distant period far greater results ; much of this, no doubt, is due to the 

 perfection of the workmanship, as well as to the more correct proportions 

 and adaptation of the various parts of the machinery, compared wiih what 

 was formerly done, and which it was impossible to accomplish with the 

 slender and inefficient means then at command; for this we are greatly in- 

 debted to tho improved self-acting tools of M hitworth. Fox, Lewis, Sharpe, 

 Roberts, Nasmjth, and others. The improvements in the form and con- 

 struction of the vessels have also contributed much ; and in the investiga- 

 tion of this dillicult subject we are much indebted to John Wood, Oliver 

 Lang, Fearnall, FIncham, Ditchburn, Sjmonds, Rule, Seppings, Scott, 

 fiussell, Edye, Patterson, White, Pasco, and others. 



(To be continued.) 



REGISTER OF NEW PATENTS. 



PAPIER MACHE ORNAMENTS. 



CHARtES Frederick Bieleheld, of Wellington-street, Strand, 

 papier mache manufacturer, for " Improvemen/s hi Ih making inoulds, 

 or dies, vsed in Ihe mamij'acture of papier inache and other matters, and 

 in moulding or /arming articles from certain plastic materials." — 

 Granted July 14, 184G; Enrolled Jan. 14, 1S47. 



The invention relates, first, to improvements in making moulds or 

 dies used in tlie manufacture of papier maclie and other matters, and 

 to improvements in moulding or forming articles from certain plastic 

 materials. Secondly, to moulding or forming mouldings from certain 

 plastic materials on wood. 



The first part of the invention consists in the application and com- 

 bination of certain matters hereafter mentioned, for making moulds 

 or dies used in the manufacture of papier mache and other matters, 

 by moulding or forming them therefrom. The materials are as fol- 

 lows: — tanogeletin, sulphur-balsam, guin-thus, and gutta-percha, with 

 a suitable solvent of gutta-percha, preferring Venice turpentine. 

 Gum-thus and gutta-percha are matters imported into this country, 

 and are well known. Tanogeletin is prepared by mixing a solution 

 containing tannin with a solution of glue or animal jelly, o.f about 3(3 

 parts of tannin and t)4 of gelatine. Sulphur-balsam is a preparation 

 of a solution of sulpliur in fixed oils, mostly prepared with sulphur 

 and linseed oil, and usually consists of two ounces of fluur of sulphur 

 and eight ounces of linseed oil, mixed, healed, and stirred, till the 

 sulphur dissolves. In making the moulds or dies above mentioned, 

 mix, dissolve, or combine tanogeletin in Venice turpentine ; to this 

 solution add cuttings of gutta-percha, and melt them by means of 

 heat, preferring to use a pug-mill heated by an external steam bath 

 for such purpose. These materials so combined may consist of vari- 

 ous proportions of the ingredients, depending on the manner the 



combinations are to be used in making moulds : the following propor- 

 tions are preferred, — nine parts by weight of tanogeletin dissolved in 

 eighteen parts by weight of Venice turpentine, adding four to five 

 parts of gutta-percha; this produces aplastic mixture which, whilst 

 it remains warm, may readily be fashioned by placing it on the form 

 from which it is desired to make a mould or die, or it may be pressed 

 inloa hollow figure to take an impression therefrom, or made into 

 piece moulds ; and when the combined matters have been allowed to 

 remain till they have become cold, the combination of materials will 

 have become hard, and may be used for various purposes, for dies or 

 moulds, for making articles in papier mache and other materials. By 

 adding a small quantity of glycerine, especially where little or no 

 sulphur-balsam is employed, it will be retained longer from becoming 

 hard. For very hard moulds or dies, capable of sustaining consider- 

 able pressure, miX with such combinations fine iron filings, using as 

 much as possible so long as the combinations will retain a plastic 

 state, and allow of being readily used, by being pressed into moulds, 

 or into figures or models. White and red lead, and oxides of some 

 metals, such, for instance, as oxides of iron in the state of powder, 

 may be used for giving hardness to the compounds, taking care that 

 they are not added to such an extent as to destroy the plastic mate- 

 rials of the combinations. Gum-thus and sulphur-balsam may be 

 combined with gutta-percha without using the tanogeletin, by means 

 of heat, and the effects of combining these two ingredients is, to pro- 

 duce a very plastic compound suitable for forming moulds or dies (by 

 pressing them on or into suitable dies, surfaces, or models) for various 

 purposes, and the same will be hardened and modified by using other 

 ingredients, as before explained. And sulphur-balsam may also be 

 combined with gutta-percha by heat, and will produce a plastic com- 

 pound more or less fiuid when hot, according to the quantity of sul- 

 phur-balsam used, and the same may be employed in taking impres- 

 sions from models or surfaces (by pressing the same on or into suit- 

 able surfaces), and such impressions will be applicable as moulds for 

 making articles from other plastic materials pressed therein. Aud 

 such combination of sulphur-balsam and gutta-percha may be com- 

 bined with the other materials above mentioned for hardening them. 



When mixing the above mentioned materials, aided by heat, it 

 will be necessary to heat or grind them by machinery, to make them 

 blend intimately together. The first part of the invention also con- 

 sists in employing the above mentioned combinations of materials as 

 plastic preparations, to be moulded or formed in order to produce 

 articles therefrom in any suitable moulds or dies for architectural and 

 other ornaments and other uses ; and owing to the peculiar properties 

 of such plastic preparations they will be found highly useful, for they 

 will take and retain very sharp impressions, which, when set and dry, 

 will not be readily injured, and moisture will not have so prejudicial 

 an effect on articles moulded from such compositions as on many other 

 plastic preparations moulded into articles for like purposes; and such 

 combinations, particularly where it is desired to give tenacity thereto, 

 will be benefitted by having paper-makers' rag dust, or other fibrous 

 material, ground or mixed therewith, and where pliability is desired 

 to be given to the combinations above mentioned, glue may be mixed 

 in quantities according to the degree of pliability desired to be ob- 

 tained for the particular purpose to which the combination is to be 

 applied. 



The second part of the invention consists in forming mouldings for 

 architectural purposes, by spreading gilders' preparation (glue or size 

 and whitening) by means of gauges, on to wood, and then subjecting 

 the same to the pressure of dies to emboss them. In making mould- 

 ings, it has been usual to prepare the wood mouldings to the contour 

 desired, and to lay on a succession of coating of the gilders' pre- 

 paration, and then by rubbing the surfaces thus prepared, the same 

 are rendered smooth. In place of this process, the gilders' prepara- 

 tion is to be used somewhat thicker than heretofore, so that it will be 

 suitable for making a substantive coating at once, and is then to be 

 laid on to the wood moulding by means of a gauge, in performing 

 this process, a sheet-metal g.iuge is fixed on a bed in such manner 

 that a prepared wood moulding may pass under it, leaving a space 

 between the gauge and the wood moulding, according as it is in- 

 tended to have the preparation spread more or less thickly; and on 

 one side of such gauge, there is a hopper containing the plastic pre- 

 paration usually employed by gilders, or printer's composition (glue 

 and treacle) may be mixed therewith, to give elasticity or slight plia- 

 bility to the surface. The wood mouldings pass under the hopper, 

 which is heated by steam to keep the plastic material in a working 

 state, the wood moulding being caused to slide on a long bed, by 

 which it will become covered with the preparation. Tlie wood 

 mouldings being thus coated, are, when dry, to be subjected to the 

 pressure of dies to emboss the surfaces thereof, and for this purpose 

 the use of the roUer dies is preferred. 



