253 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[August 



STEAM SHIP PROrEI.LING MACHINERY. 



JosEni MAID3LAY, of tie firm of Maudslay a»d Field, Lambeth, 

 engineers, for " Im/irovements in prnvelling and propelling machineYy." — 

 Granted Jan. 13 ; Enrolled July 13, iS40. 



Fi?. 



C 





This invention consists in a mode of raising screw and other similar stern 

 prcipellers, when the same are fixed ahaft the stern-post. Fig. 1 shows the 

 mndc of effecting this object, a a is a rectangular framework of iron, which 

 su|)ports at its lower end a hollow shaft b, carrying the vanes of the pro- 

 peller and working freely in the plummer blocks ec. The rectangular frame 

 a a is provided with projecting pieces a' a' which fit into and are attached to 

 a sliding piece d, in a similar manner to a hinge joint. This sliding piece 

 d (I is capable of moving freely upon a strong frame e e, which latter is firmly 

 bolted to the counter of the vessel. / is the propeller shaft which passes 

 through a hollow shaft or tube g, the propeller shaft being squared at its 

 outer end so as to fit the hole formed in the boss or hollow shaft A, which 

 hole is of the same figure. A represents a chain, one end of which is at- 

 tached to the rectangular frame a, the other being attached to a capstan or 

 windlass on board the vessel. When it is necessary to raise the propeller, 

 the square end of the shaft/is withdrawn from the boss or shaft 4, then, by 

 giving motion to the wmdlass, the part d will slide upon the frame ee, car-^ 

 rying with it the rectangular frame o a and propeller. The advantages of 

 this arrangement are stated to be, that the propeller may be placed lower 

 down than heretofore, and consequently a larger propeller may be em- 

 ployed, moreover the water passing from the propeller will meet with less 

 obstruction against the sides of the vessel, and which vessel will be less sub- 

 ject to that tremulous motion caused by the action of the propeller. 



Tbe second improvement consists in disconnecting the propelling shaft 

 from the driving shaft, thereby allowing the former to run loose upon its 

 axis when the vessel is required to be worked with sails only, or when she 

 is laying in a tide way. In fig. 2, a is a circular plate of cast iron, firmly 

 keyed on the outer end of the driving shaft * ; e is a casting in the form of 

 a frustrum of a cone, and is firmly keyed upon the inner end of the propel- 

 ler shaft d; upon the periphery of this conical piece there is a hollow cast- 

 ing e turned accurately to (it the conical part c. On the periphery of the 

 plate a there is cast three " snugs'' or projections, through each of which is 

 passed a bolt/ (one only of which is shown in the drawing) ; at the outer 

 end of these bolts there is a winch, g, or handle, having three projecting 

 arms g', ao that one is always uppermost. It will therefore be seen tjy the 

 above that by screwing the bolts/, and the part c, the propeller shaft d will 

 be driven by the friction of the two conical pieces c and e, and by unscrewing 

 the conical part c aud propeller shaft will be allowed to run loose. 



ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS. 



Charles Wheeler, of Speenhamland, Berkshire, machinist, fnr " cer- 

 tain improvements in the construction and working of railways" — Granted 

 January 22 ; Enrolled July 22, 1846. 



The first part of this invention is for an improved form of rail for rail- 

 ways, shown at fig. 1, which represents a transverse section of a rail con- 

 structed of such a form as to present three ditTerent surfaces to the action 

 of the wheels, that is to say, when one surface is worn out, another can be 

 turned up, as will be clearly understooil by the following description, a is a 

 section of the rail, fastened down to the sleeper by means of cast iron 

 blocks b; between the rail and the block a piece of felt Is placed, or a key 

 way may be foroaed in the blocks, as shown at d', and a hard wooden wedge 

 driven. The rails are further secured to the sleepers by means of a lialf 

 round piece of wood c, upon which the rail is made to rest. The specifica- 

 tion states that this description of rail may be made by rolling the bars of 

 iron betwixt three rollers. 



The second part of the invention consists in transmitting motion from the 

 pitton of an atmospheric railway to the carriage by having a flexil le coverinij 



to the top of tbe tube, which is raised up and forced against a wheel at- 

 tached to the leading carriage by means of a vtheel attached to the pistoa.* 



Fig. J. 



Fig. 2. 



The third part of the invention relates to a mode of closing the longitu- 

 dinal opening by means of a continuous sliding valve, shown at fig. 2, which 

 represents a transverse section of the pipe and sliding valve constructed ac- 

 cording to this part of the invention ; a is the tube, which is cast with a pro- 

 jecting rib A ; c is a sliding plate, also having a projecting fiange similar to 

 that upon the pipe ; a number of these plates are hinged together with a 

 rule joint, so as to extend the whole length of the line. Vpon the under- 

 side of this sliding plate there is a piece of leather d firmly attached to 

 the side of the pipe, which piece is brought over the longitudinal 

 slit or opening by the inner edge of the plates c, the outer edge of such 

 plates being acted upon by means of springs e, supported at intervals hy 

 pillars/, which have a tendency to force the plate c and leather over the 

 opening, g \% & framework of iron attached to the vertical arm A; this 

 framework supports three anti-friction rollers which, as the piston travelj 

 along, forces back the plate c, so as to allow the vertical arm to pass, the 

 opening being closed again by the action of the springs e. Fig. 3 shows a 

 plan of tbe framework g and rollers i. 



* This mode of forming the connection has already been patented two or three times 

 0T«r, 



DECORATION OF HOUSES. 



Henri Augvste Bex, of Great Titchfield-street, Marylehone, decorator, 

 for " A new method tf drying, polishing, and colouring marble, stone, and 

 certain other materials used in the construction or decoration of houses and 

 other buildings." — Granted December 10, 1845 ; Enrolled June 10, 1846. 



The improvements are : First, in pohshing marble and stone by fiUing up 

 the pores with pbister of Paris or marble cement ; then rubbing them with 

 hard stones, applying a thin layer of plastic before each rubbing ; and lastly 

 rubbing them with wax, or a mixture of wax and turpentine. Secondly, in 

 polishing other materials used in the construction or decoration of houses 

 by rubbinn them with a varnish of gum lac. Thirdly, in dyeing and colour- 

 ing marble, stone, and other materials used in the construction or decoration 

 of houses, hy wetting them with certain acids, salts, and colouring materials . 

 or their chemical combinations, by means of a brush cr sponge. 



The inventor then proceeds to describe the manner in which the said inven- 

 tion is to be performed. To polish marble or stone the surface to be polished 

 is first rubbed with apiece of sandstone, aud afterwards with a sandstone of a 

 finer description, in same manner as is now ordinarily practised ; the pores 

 of the marble or stone are then stopped up with plaster of Paris mixed with 

 a thin solution of gelatine and some colouring matter, to render it of the same 

 colour as the marble or stone to be polished, till it attains the consistence of 

 creain, or else marble cement mixed with colouring matter, till it attains 

 same consistence, and is similarly colouretl. These mixtures are then laid 

 on respectively, as the case may be, with a brush, and afterwards scraped o£F 

 with a wooden knife, taking care that all the pores of marble or stone are 

 filled up. The marble or stone is then rubbed with a kind of sandstone 

 called t'hiirley Purest stone ; the |)nres being stnpped up, jire rii- ''fiJ v/tth 

 ttie stone, and after tliat with a piece of German stuue» and tluilijr with a 



