18460 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



285 



tion ; fig. 3 one half of a horizontal plan of the coolins passages under 

 the oven, on a level with the line Y V, and one half of the plan of the 

 oven on the line Z Z. The other half in each figure is similar in construc- 

 tion to the half shown iu the engraving, and similar letters refer to similar 

 parts in each figure. 



A is the mouthpiece of the oven (see enlarged view, fig. 4) with a tem- 

 porary wall of bricks b, built up as the coke is put in ; <; cast iron door 

 with oblong apertures (/, fitted with vertical slides e, for regulating the 

 size of the apertures, or entirely closing them; //are two passages on 

 each side of the oven mouth, fitted with regulating valves and incliDing 

 upwards towards the top of the interior of the oven ; g is the floor of the 

 oven ; h the flue leading from the interior to the chimney !. jj (fig. 1) are 

 two vertical pipes with hinge caps and covers, opened by the dependent 

 chains, to allow the escape of the air employed for the cooling down pro- 

 cess from the interior of the oven to the external air. kk (tigs. 2 and 4) 

 are two openings with regulating valves, / Z (fig. 4), through which, after 

 the coal has been converted into coke, the cold air is introduced to the 

 horizontal passages m, under and round the oveu fbut not communicating 

 with the interior), for cooling down the coke: Those parts marked n be- 

 tween the brickwork forming the pa.ssages are filled in with concrete. 

 The mode (tf operation is as follows ; — The floor of the oven is covered 

 with coal to the thickness of about two feet, the surface inclining a little 

 from the front and sides towards the centre ; the brickwork h to the oven 

 mouth is built up as the coal is introduced, and the bricks luted with fine 

 clay ; a shovelful of burning coal is thrown in at top, and when the coal 

 is fairly ignited the regulators of the door c are then closed; the aper- 

 tures d. as well as the passages//, are kept open until the coal is fairly ig- 

 nited, and at the same lime, the passages fc k are kept entirely closed. At 

 the conclusion of the process, the valves II of the openings k k are opened, 

 for admitting cold air to the chambers m, to cool down the c*)ke, and at the 

 same time the caps ot the exit pipejj are taken off. The coke is not to 

 be removed from the oven until it has been thorougly cooled down. 



Another part of the patent is for the application of electricity to purify- 

 ing of coke from sulphur and other metallic mixtures, which is done in 

 the following manner: — As soon as the flame on the surface of the ignited 

 coal begins to die away, the apertures s of the door c and //are closed ; an 

 iron rod is then introduced through the temporary brickwork of the mouth 

 into the coke near the bottom, and passed through to the back of the oven 

 to the flue A. A second rod is passed over the surface of the coke, so that 

 it stiall rest and be in contact with it. The Ibrmer rod is connected with 

 the positive pole of a powerful electric battery, and the second rod with 

 the negative pole by means of copper wire, leaving the body of coke iu 

 the oven to complete the electric current. If the mass of coke be equal to 

 eix tons, it ought to be subject to the electric action for about two hours. 



TANNING. 



RoDf.RT Warrington, of Apothecaries' Hall, London, for " Improve- 

 ments in the operation of Tanning." — Granted March 25; Enrolled July 

 25, I84G. 



This invention consists in the application of certain mixtures or com- 

 pounds to be employed in the process of tanning hides or skins, the several 

 mixtures being divided into three classes, which are as follows : — First, in 

 order to prepare the skins for unhairing, the inventor proposes to employ 

 carbonate of soda or potass, in the proportion of from one to two pounds 

 to ten gallons of water. The second class is also intended to prepare the 

 skins for unhairing and also to swell them, for which purpose the inventor 

 employs various agents, such as baryta, potass, and soda, dilute muriatic, 

 nitric, oxalic, or any other acid, except sulphuric acid. The third class 

 consists of vegetable matters, such as rhubarb, sorrel, apple, mare, vine 

 cu tings, and other similar vegetables, which may be economically employ- 

 ed. In the first class, from half-a-pound to two pounds may be added to 

 ten gallons of water, the same being rendered caustic by the addition of 

 fresh burnt lime ; of the second class, the inventor prefers about the same 

 proportions of muriatic acid, of specific graviiy 1-17, to the same quantity 

 of water; of the third class, the inventor prefers to employ culinary rhu- 

 barb. The following is a summary of the claim :— First, the applu:ation 

 of carbonate of soda or potass when soaking the hides or .skins, for facili- 

 tating the removal of the hair; second, the employment of baryta, soda, 

 potass, and muriatic, nitric, oxalic, or any other acid, except sulphuric, 

 together with the above named and other similar vegetable matters, for 

 facilitating the removal of the hair and also swelling the hides or skius. 

 He also claims the application of vegetable matters and chemical agents 

 for retarding oxydation, which agents are to be used with the tanning 

 liquor ; and lastly, he claims the application of bi-carbonate of potass and 

 dilute sulphuric acid for preserving the skins and other animal substances. 



RAILWAY SAFETY BUFFEH. 



Edwin Chesshirb, of Birmingham, for " /m/jrorpmcHis in apparatus to 

 he applied to railicaij carriages to reduce the prejudicial effects of collision 

 ta passengers in railway carriages." — Granted February 3; Enrolled Au- 

 gust 3, 1S46. 



The apparatus consists simply of a strong straight inflexible rod of 

 cither iron or wood, or both combined, placed lougi:udiually under the 



centre of the carriages ; the ends of the rod are to have enlarged heads, 

 and the length of the rod to be somewhat less than the carriage, to 

 which it is attached, and the buffers when in ordinary contact. This rod, 

 which the inventor calls a " safety buffer," is not intended to have any 

 effect in stopping the motion of the train in the usual manner, but only 

 when a violent collision, either before or behind, occurs, — then the heads 

 of all the bars will be brought in contact, and " form one straight, inflexi- 

 ble, unyielding bar," by which means the effect of the collision will be 

 neutralised. 



ELECTRIC LAMP. 



William Greener, of Birmingham, gunmaker, and W. E. State, of 

 Peckham, Surrey, Esq., for " Improved means of ignition and illumina- 

 tion." — Granted February 7 ; Enrolled August 7, 1846. 



The inven'ion is for the purpose of effecling illumination of public and 

 private buildings, streets, 6ic., by means of solid or hollow prisms or cy- 

 linders of carbon (purified from impurities), or rods or strips of platinum, 

 or other difficult fusible metal, enclosed in transparent air-tight vessels, 

 and rendered luminous by passing currents of electricity ; the carbon or 

 metal is to be divided on the surface into numerous acute points. Hollow 

 cylinders of carbon may be used, partially inserted within, and placed in 

 perfect contact with, hollow cones of platinum, either plain or acuminated, 

 and enclosed as before described. 



CEMENT. 



John Keating, of North Mews, Filzroy-square, Middlesex, scagliolist, 

 for " Improrements in the manufacture of cement," — Granted February 11 ; 

 Enrolled August II, 184G. 



This invention consists in mixing borax with gypsum (sulphate of lime) 

 in the following proportions : — 5 lb. of borax and 5 lb. of crude tartar are 

 each to be dissolved in G gallons of water, and when dissolved the two 

 solutions to be mixed together. Gypsum in lumps (first deprived of its 

 water of crystallization by heat) is to be put in this solution till it has 

 absorbed as much as it will take up, and then put in an oven and heated 

 red hot; afterwards it is allowed to cool, and ground, and then again 

 mixed with the above solutions and heated in an oven ; when taken out, it 

 will be ready for use. 



LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. 



George Stfphenson, of Tapton House, Chesterfield, engineer, and 

 William Hovvb, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, mechanic, for an " Improve- 

 ment in locomotive steam engines." — Granted February 11 ; Enrolled 

 August II, 1846. 



The iraprovemeot consists in the application of three steam cylinders to 

 locomotive engines, two to be of the same diameter and capacity, and 

 together to be equal in capacity to one large cylinder. The pistons of all 

 the three cylinders are to move simultaneously in the same direction ; the 

 large cylinder is to be placed exactly in the longitudinal central line of the 

 engine, and the other two cylinders on each side at equal distances from 

 it. The piston of the centre cylinder is to drive a crank on the axle of 

 the impelling wheels, and the pistons ot the two smaller cylinders are to 

 be connected with crank pins fixed on the naves of the driving wheels; 

 the crank lo be fixed at right angles to the crank-pins. The intention of 

 this arrangement is to neutralise any tendency that the oblique action of 

 the connecting rods on their crank pins may have to produce a lateral 

 vibration on the supportiug springs of a locomotive when travelling very 

 rapidly. 



RAILWAYS AND CARRIAGES. 



Conrad Haverkasi Greenhow, of North Shields, Esq., for" Improve- 

 menls in the construction of raitu-aijs and railway carriages." — Granted 

 January 6 ; Enrolled July G, 1846. VVith Engravings, see Plate XIV. 



The improvements relate, first, to forming the tyre of the wheels and 

 rails so that they can be adjusted and adapted to each other. This is 

 etfected by using a convex rail and a peculiar formation of a concave 

 wheel tyre, combined with inclined spokes, whereby, in the event of one 

 rail sinking below the level of the other, the tyre of the sunken wheel will 

 bear on the rail with an increased diameter, so as to compensate in surface 

 motion for the depression ; and from the peculiar concave shape, the wheel 

 and the rail will maintain a correct adjustment in respect to each other. 

 Notwithstanding any varying elevations and depressions of parts of the 

 length of rails, ilie wheels on the opposite rails will at all times be running 

 on such diameters as to muke the distance moved through (by the common 

 axle) the same, without any drag or friction corresponding with that here- 

 tofore consequent on the flanges, when moving against rails similarly cir- 

 cumstauced. Aud owing to tins constant adjustment between the running 

 surfaces of the wheels aud the rails, the rails may be laid with the gauge 

 so correct as not to allow of any play, for the adjustment which takes 

 place will prevent, or tend to prevent, any rebound from rail.to rail, besidea 



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