62 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Februaey, 



is made thereto separately, and such materials will he varied according tolthe 

 matters which the l;uiJ to he manured requires to have returned to it, in ad- 

 dition to the mineral snlistanees above mentioned. Ihe quantity of carbo- 

 nate or phosiihati; of lirac, used with carbonate of soda or potash, may be 

 varied according to the degree of solubility desired to be obtained, depending 

 on the locality where the manure is to be used, in order to render the pre- 

 paration less soluble, in localities where the average quantity of rain falling 

 in the year is great ; but as in practice, it would be ditlicult to prepare 

 manures to suit each particular locality with exactness, the average prepara- 

 tion as will suit most localities will be given. In making manure accord- 

 ing to the invention, carbonate of soda or of potash, or both are to be fused 

 in a reverberatory furnace, such as is used in the manufacture of soda-ash, 

 with carbonate or phosphate of lime (anrt with such fused compounds are 

 mixed other ingredients as hereafter mentioned,) so as to produce n.anures ; 

 and such composition, when cold, being ground into powder by edge stones 

 or other convenient machinery, the same is to be applied to land as manure. 

 And in order to apply such manure with jnecision, the analysis and weight 

 of the previous crop ought to be known with exactness, so as to return to 

 the land the mineral elements in the weight and proportion in which they 

 have been removed by the crop. 



Two compounds are first prepared, one or other of which is the basis of 

 all manures, which will be described as the first and second preparations. 

 The first preparation is formed by fusing together two or two and a half 

 parts of carbonate of lime with one part of potash of commerce (containing 

 on an average sixty carbonate of potash, ten sulphate of potash, and ten 

 chloride of potassium or common salt in the hundred parts), or with one 

 part of carbonate of soda and potash, mixed in equal parts. The second 

 preparation is formed by fusing together one part of phosphate of lime, one 

 part potash of commerce, and one part of soda ash. Both preparations are 

 ground to powder; other salts or ingredients in the state of powder are 

 added to these preparations and mixed together, or those not of a volatile 

 consistency may be added when the preparations are in a state of fusion, so 

 that the manure may represent as nearly as possible the composition of the 

 ashes of the preceding crop. This is assuming that the land is in a high 

 state of cultivation, hut if it be desired to grow a particular crop on land not 

 in a hieh state of cultivation, then the manure would he applied in the first 

 instance suitable for the coming crop, and then in subsequent cases, the 

 manure prepared according to the invention would, as herein described, be 

 applied to restore to the land what has been taken therefrom by the preced- 

 ne crop. 



Preparation of manure for land iphich has had a wheat crop grown on and 

 removed tlierefrom. — Take of the first preparation six parts by weight, and 

 of the second preparation one part, and mix with them two parts of gypsum 



one part of calcined bones — silicate of potash, (containing six parts of 



silica) — and one part of phosphate of magnesia and ammonia. This manure 

 is also applicable to be used after growing barley, oats, and plants of a 

 similar character. 



Preparation of manure for land which has had a crop of beans r/rown 

 thereon, and removed therefrom.— Tike fourteen parts by weight of the first 

 preparation, two parts of the second preparation, and mix them with one 

 part of common salt, (chloride of sodium,) — a quantity of silicate of potash, 

 (containing two parts of silica,) — two parts of gypsum, and one part of 

 phosphate of magnesia and ammonia. This manure is also applicable for 

 land on which peas or other plants of a similar character have been grown 

 and removed. 



Preparation of manure for land on which turnips have ieen grotcn and re- 

 moved therefrom.— Take twelve parts by weight of the first preparation, one 

 part of the second preparation, one part of gypsum, and one part of phos- 

 phate of magnesia and ammonia. This manure is also applicable for laad 

 •«here potatoes or similar plants have been grown and removed. 



The claim is for preparing and applying in the manufacture of manure, 

 carbonate of potash and carbonate of soda with carbonate and phosphate of 

 !ime, in such manner as to render the alkaline salts in manufactured manure 

 less soluble, and therefore less liable to be washed away by rain before they 

 are assimilated by the growing plants. 



STEAM ENGINES. 

 KiniARD Haworth, '/ Bury, in the cnimty of Lancaster, engineer, for 

 certain iniproremetits in steam-engines. — [tiiuuted February 10 ; Enrolled 

 August 10, 184.).] — Reported in Newton's London Journal. — {With en- 

 gravings, Plate IIL) 



The principal feature of novelty in the invention is as follows : — The 

 entire working engine has both the common reciprocating rectilinear 

 motion, and also a circular motion round the centre of the driving-shaft ; 

 the steam cylinder being fixed at oue end of a lever, whilst the crank 

 Involves loosely iu a step or bearing at the other end of the same lever, 

 'ihe boss or centre of tbis lever is keyed fast upou the main driving-shaft, 

 and is intended to communicate the motion of the engine to the same. 

 This molnin is transmitted in the following manner: — Ipouoneendof 

 the crauk-shaft a spur-wheel is keyed fast; the radius of its pitch line 

 being equal to half the distance of the centres of the crank-shaft from the 

 mam dnving-slial'l of the steam-engine. This wheel gears into another of 

 the same diameter, which is fixed, and remains perfectly stationary ; the 

 main driving-shaft revolving loosely through its centre : consequently, 



the wheel open the crank shaft has a double motion to perform, — one 

 being a rotary movement round its own axis, communicated from the pis- 

 ton by means of the connecting-rod, as in ordinary steam-engines, — tlie 

 other being a planetary motion round the main driving-shaft, occasioned 

 by the spur-wheel upon the crank-shaft revolving, while the other wheel 

 (through the centre of which the main driving sliaft passes) remains per- 

 fectly stationary. The wheels being both of the same diameter, the 

 " planet-wheel " will complete its orbit round the main driving-shaft 

 ajid " siui-wbeel" in exactly the same space of lime as Ihe crank takes 

 to make one revolution round its own centre. The object of these im- 

 provements is to gain both power and speed, which is accomplished by 

 the motion being communicated to the driving shaft by a much longer 

 leverage than usual ; the increase of power being in proportion to tha 

 difference between the length of the crank and the length of Ihe lever, 

 iu the end of which it revolves : the speed is gained by Ihe shortness of 

 the crank, as the piston has a smaller distance to travel at every stroke 

 of Ihe engine. 



In Plate III, fig. 1, is a plan or horizontal view of the improved 

 steam. engine, to be worked by high-pressure steam; and fig. 2 is a 

 partial section, shewing more clearly the contrivance for the entrance 

 and exit of the steam to and from the cylinder; a, foundation walls 

 which support the main shaft b; c, lly-wheel ; d, steam-cylinder ; e, con- 

 necting-rod ; /, crank; aud g, the crank-shaft. This crank-shaft g, in- 

 stead of revolving iu fixed bearings, as iu ordinary steam-engines, re- 

 volves in bearings at oue end of the levers h. It' ; the centre or boss of 

 the lever A, is keyed fast upon the main-shaft 6; the steam c; finder d, 

 being attached, by bolts and lugs, to the other end of the levers k, h'. 

 The steam is admitted into the cylinder, for the purpose of actuating 

 Ihe piston, in the following manner: — It will be seen, by referring to 

 fig. 2, that the end b\ of the shaft is made hollow, having a inidfeather 

 i, through the centre, to divide the entrance-pipe fc, from the exit-pipe /, 

 and revolves iu a hollow steam-chest or chamber m, being packed steam- 

 tight by means of stufliug boxes. Steam is introduced into this cham- 

 ber by the feed- pipe n, and passes through the opening o, into the en- 

 trance-pipe k, and thence through the slide-valve (which is of the ordi- 

 nary constrnctioo) to the steam cylinder. The action of Ihe piston com- 

 municates rotary motion by means of the connecting-rod e, and Ihe crank 

 /, to the crank-shaft g; upou one end of this crank- shaft g, the planet- 

 wheel ji, is keyed, gearing into a sun-wheel q, of the same diameter; 

 this wheel </, has no motion whatever, but merely serves as a rack, 

 around which the planet-wheel p, travels. Through the boss of the 

 wheel, q, the end 6, of the main driving-shaft passes, revolving loosely. 

 Thus it will be evident, that, in consequence of Ihe wheel q, remaining 

 perfectly stationary, Ihe rotation of the crank-shaft g, will cause the 

 planet-wheel p, to travel round the sun-wheel or circular rack q, in the 

 same space of lime iu which it revolves upon its own axis, thus caus- 

 ing the engine to revolve, while going through its reciprocating action; 

 the niaiu-shal't 4, i', being the fulcrum, aud revolving with it, in eon- 

 sequence of the bosses of the levers k, li', being kejed fast upon that 

 shaft. In this improved arrangement of the steam-engine, in order to 

 work the slide-valve, the excentric r, is stationary, and is connected to 

 the valve by a series of links and levers s, s, »; the rotation of the 

 engine communicating the requisite motion to the valve, the same as 

 the revolution of the excentric r would do if the engine were fixed or 

 stationary. Fig. 3 is a face view aud section of a cam, to be used iu 

 connection with this arrangement, in place of the excentric, if it is de- 

 sired to work the engine expansively ; this cam being calculated to cut 

 oil' the steam at half stroke. 



The patentee remarks, that he has represented his invention as ap- 

 plied to a high-pressure "stationary" steam engine; but he considers 

 tlie improved "planetary engine" equally adapted to condensing eu.* 

 giues, and v%hether employed for marine or other purposes. 



MANUFACTURE OF GAS. 



James Murdoch, of Staple-inn, Middlesex, mechanical draughtsman, 

 for " certain impiovcmcnts in the manufacture of gas, and in ihe apparatus 

 emplaned therein. — (Being a communication.)— Granted February 20lh ; 

 Enrolled August 20th, 1S45 ; with engravings. Plate III. 



This invention consists in certain improvements in the manufacture of 

 gas for illumination, uliicli are elt'icted by means of an apparatus shown 

 in the engraving, fig. 1, is a transverse Section, aud fig. 2, a longitudinal 

 section thereof, a, is for the coal. The neck a', of the retort is connected 

 by a horizontal tube w ith a vertical retort A, at the back of the apparatus ; 

 and this retort b, is connected by another horizontal tube c, parallel to the 

 first, with the neck d, from whence a pipe c, extends to the cooling appa- 

 ratus/: the two horizontal tubes are termed purifying retorts; aud each 

 contains a spiral piece of iron. The retort h, is nearly filled with coke or 

 charcoal, and is usep for decomposing water, supplied through the syphon- 

 pipe g, which descends nearly to the bottom of the retort, as indicated by 

 the dotted lines in tig 2. The lid oC the cooling apparatus /, has, on ita 

 under side, a long spiral channel, interrupted by slops, so as to cause the 

 gas, admitted into the apparatus by the pipe i', to pass over a large surface 

 of water, and occasionally through it, previous to its escape tlirough the 

 pipe A, to the gasometer. ;', is a syphon-pipe, for carrying off the surplus 

 water of the cooling apparatus. /, /, are fire-bricks to protect the retort a, 

 from the direct action of the flame ; and ;«, m, are openings, conducting the 



