20ft 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[JCNH, 



barb ami boilers, than coal is ;— fiftlily, the ignition is so complete, tliat com- 

 parativelv little smoke, and only a small quantity of aslies arc produced by 

 it;— sixtidy, the cost of the quantity of Mr. Grant's fuel required to generate 

 in'a given time a given amount of steam, is so much less than that of the 

 quantity of coal which would be consumed in effecting the same purpose, 

 that, even if the advantages of stowage, cleanliness, and facility of handling, 

 ■were not to be taken into the account, the patent fuel would still recommend 

 itself to the attention of all steam boat proprietors.— //am/«/iife relegraph. 



[The first part of this statement appears to us rather extraordinary that 

 the Lords of the Admiraltv should interfere with the working of a patent in 

 any kind of wav, and that parties requiring licenses are to be referred to 

 them ; surely tliere must be some mistake in the statement. — Editor C. E. 

 and A. Journal.] 



APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-MAGNETISM TO MACHINERY. 

 (From the Leipsic Allgemeine Zeiiung.J 



Leipsic, .\pril 1 7. 

 The meeting of our Polytechnic Society was rendered peculiariy interesting 

 by a lecture given bv Hcrr Stiirer on his experiments in the application of 

 electro-magnetism as a motive power. Ilerr StBrer commenced his experi- 

 ments several years ago, befoie M'agncr's invention, and has proceeded inde- 

 pendent of it. By merelv following up and carrying out the ideas of Jaoobi, 

 to whom the first merit 'of the discoveiT is due, he has succeeded in con- 

 stnicting a small machine, the power of which is as yet limited to the raising 

 of only a moderate weight and putting a turning lathe in motion, but which 

 is nevertheless sufficient to render perfectly evident the whole mechanism of 

 the important invention, and which, as the constructor observed, needs only 

 to be enlarged to produce more practical effects. 



The principle of electro-galvanic movement has its source, as is well known 

 in the law of reciprocal attraction and repulsion of two iron bars, surrounded 

 by a galvanic current, alternating with positive and negative elctricity, and 

 thereby magnetized. Herr Storcr's machine consists at present of only two 

 concentric circles of spiral iron bars, surrounded by conducting wires for the 

 reception of the electric current. Each circle contains 12 single bars, placed 

 at the distance of from 2 J to 3 inches from each other, the bars of the outer 

 circle being about half an inch separated from those of the inner. The outer 

 circle is fixed ; the inner forms the periphery of a moveable disc, swinging 

 ■wheel, or pinion. This mechanism is brought into connexion by two con- 

 ducting wires with a galvanic battery, in such a manner that in the first place 

 the bars of the one circle with positive electricity surround those of the other 

 ■with negative electricity ; then suddenly, by an arrangement in the conduct- 

 ing apparatus, the current is changed, and thereby electricity of the like name 

 is produced in both circles. The consequence of this is, that the opposite 

 bars, in consequence of the different magnetic power communicated to them, 

 first attract each other, then instantly becoming, by the inversion of their poles, 

 similar magnets with equal force, repel each other. By this rcgxdarly repeated 

 alternation of attraction and repulsion, each bar of the internal moveable 

 circle is in succession drawn towards all the bars of the external fixed circle, 

 and then driven as it were back on the next, whereby the whole disc is brought 

 into a state of uniform motion. 



The inventor makes a very moderate estimate of the cost of the machine. 

 The expense consists chiefly in the wear of the zinc in the galvanic battery, 

 by the action of the acid ; but as to the outlay for this article, it will be al- 

 most entirely counterbalanced by the precipitate which in consequence of 

 the operation is formed in the acid, and which yields a somewhat valuable 

 chemical product. With regard to the power of the machine, and the possi- 

 bility of reinforcing it so as to produce greater practical effects, Herr Storer 

 subiiiits the following considerations :— The present machine, though only 

 double the size of the one he first constnicted, which had only six pair of bars, 

 acts with a sixfold increase of force. Each galvanic element consists of a 

 copper cylinder, a zinc cylinder within it, and a chemical mixture by which 

 they arc 'connected. Now, as respects the effect of the number of elements 

 employed, Herr Storer makes the following observations, the accuracy of 

 which he has proved by experiments :— " In the connexion with a single ele- 

 ment the machine raises, with moderate velocity, 3 lb. ; witli two elements, 

 13 lb. ; with three, 25 ft. ; with four, 40 ft. This is approximatively an as- 

 cending gradation of power in the ratio of 1, I, 8, 12, whence it certainly 

 would appear that the force might not be found to augment exactly in the 

 relation of a progressive increase of the elements." According to Herr Storer's 

 calculations, the connexion of a battery of 50 elements, with a machine in 

 cubical contents 20 times greater than the one exhibited, would produce an 

 effect equivalent to 50 horse power. 



Still, however, after all these data and calculations, there remain several 

 doubts as to the practicabiUty of the application of this invention to ma- 

 chinery on an extensive scale. On the other band, the results obtained by 

 the experiments hitherto made arc of sufficient importance to encourage a 

 spirited prosecution of the discovery, which is in itself so ingenious, that it 

 ought to be joyfully hailed by all who take an interest in the progress of 

 civilization, as a new triumph of the human mind over inanimate matter. At 

 all events, we Germans have just reason to be prnud of an invention the first 

 idea of which came from a German, and all the improvements yet made in 

 ■which are the offspring of German intellect and German perseverance. 



CONTINKNTAL MODE OF EORIXG, BY APPLICATION OF THE 



KOPE. 



When 1 was lately residing on the Continent, I occasionally observed 

 notices in the foreign papers of this mode of boring, with flattering accounts 

 of its advantages. I was anxious to obtain information about It, but I did 

 not succeed in doing so until I perused (he official report of M. Jobard o i the 

 Paris exhibition of 1840 His account is, indeed, in some degree, defective, 

 as it does not furnish diagrams of the instruments ; nevcrthe'ess, it gives a 

 general view of the method, nliich seems to be attended with the surprising 

 benefit, that the expense of the bore per fathom does not increaje m any 

 considerable degree with the depth of the bore. Having both observed and 

 experienced the cost, danger, and tardiness of the bore with boring rods, 

 when a great depth is reached, I have found M. Jobard's report interesting 

 and instructive; and. therefiore, as the subject may be new to .some of your 

 readers, I venture to send v< u the substance of it, in case you think it worth 

 insertion in your vahnble Hournal. 



There are in all three inslruments, or tools, used in the niethod alluded to 

 —the vwuton. emporle piece, and akzoir. The mouton is a cylinder of cast-iron, 

 of about eight inches in diameter and thirty-nine inches in height — weight 

 from one to three cwt This cylinder has exterior flutings,4-10ihs of an inch 

 in depth and 6-.5ths of an inch in liread'h; the upper part contains an empty 

 cone, whose base is reversed, '.vhich gives it the form nf a bucket with thick 

 sides There are tn o handles to the cvlirwler, one above the other— if the 

 first should break, the second retains the rope. The lower part of the tool 

 is prepared to receive a number of steel chisels, which are fixed by a trans- 

 versal key. The tool should be composed of as few pieces as possible, for, 

 however well they are fixed, the percussion tends to detach them, and to 

 leave them at the bottom of the hole. The best way of procuring good mou- 

 tons of p°rcussion. for hard stratu is to make them all of one p ece of case- 

 hardened cast iron, with handles of malleable iron hooked into the cast iron. 

 These handles should be high up, in order to facilitate the extraction of the 

 powdered stone, which accumulates in the empty part ot the mouton. The 

 head or top, of the tool should exhibit a number of pyramidal points, pro- 

 iectiti" about an inch, diamond-pointed, the better to cut into the stone. 

 The case-hardening gives them the hardness of tempered steel, .am makes 

 them last a long time. A mouton of three cwt. costs only yOl. (2/.) -.when 

 it is worn, the old metal serves for the casting of others. The rock is cut 

 (hilv to the depth of at least 39 inches. The rope is worked by a long plank 

 placed obliquely, the upper end being about 12 or 15 feet above the ha e. 

 The mouton is suspended about 15 or 20 inches from the bottom of the hole. 

 Motion is given to this plank bv the hands or the feet, or by several men 

 pulling together bv r.pes attached to the plank. There are also several 

 other w.ays of working the main rope. . , , , ,u 



In boring with boring rods, four or five hours are required to draw them 

 and lower ?hem again ; but all this is done (when the bore by means of the 

 ■one is used) in eieht or ten minutes. In this latter, then, the progress of 

 e work fs always nearly the same-al 3000 as at 100 leet. The same num- 

 ber of men! to, is suflicient to work it,let the depth be what it may. What 

 takes place, is as follows. -The mouton, falling 2a or 30 limes a minute, 

 from a height of two or three feet, readily breaks and pounds the rock The 

 dust or powd(-r which results from this would soon deaden the blow, if there 

 V ere no water in the bore hole, but there is almost always son.e— if not, it 

 should be thrown in. The water and the dust form a magma— a mortar or 



lud. which spouts up by the flu;ii,ss carved around the mouton. his mud 

 Is back necessarily on the head of the mo- ton and, as tins is hollow, the 

 mud enters a little at e'.cvy blow. This powdered stone heaps up in the in- 

 terior of the cone, by the work, to such a degree, that force is often necessary 



-et out the stony sugar-loaf which is there concreted after some hours 

 ^trikin- The contents of the instrument are known; it is sufficient, th n, 



are in suspension at the bottom of the bore hole, to deposit themselves n the 

 bucket-but not longer, for so it might get it incrusted 



The mouton alone suffices to the Chinese to bore to the depth of 1800 feet. 

 The rs rata are hard and solid enough not to require tubing, but U would 

 not do for clay, sand, or pebbles-in that case the emporU- pwcc is requisi e. 

 it s a cylin eV, which has at its base two valves, tuniing on a hinge in the 

 dl-^meler intho form of the wings of a butterfly. This cylinder is lowered 

 ?o he b t om of the bole, and is c°aused to Ponotrate the strata by. the inter- 

 mediate percussion of a mouton_. of the weight of 6o lbs., which is madeon 

 purpose for theem| 



n^l'ce " Wli°ehTllc'^niouton''is'''raise'd, it gets as far as a boll, which stops it ; 

 t then falls on the emporte pi^ce, which latter sinks ;it every blow, and its 

 valves open to let the mud pass, ^en it is tliousht the instrument has 

 sunk far enough, it is drawn up, and it arrives with a cake of mud, ^-^^ - ^ ' 

 care should be taken not lo allow it to sink loo far into plastic f l=»y-' '"'S" 

 then be difficult to draw it out. For strata which reqmre tubing, tlierc is, 

 besides, the akzoh. The f.-llowing is the simple artifice employ ed > o enlarge 

 the bore hole when it is tubed (or, to resolve the problem, to form^»'f\jn 



mediate neicussion oi n inwui^ri,. ". ...^ .....p... ^. -- - --■ , 



ournose for the emporte piece. The mouton, having an aperture in the cen- 

 f«^s hies fo. some feet along a metallic rod, which is fixed to the emporte 



t le tiore iioie wnen u i» luuru (u., >u .>.ov,.. , ,,„,„„„, ,i,.,„ ,\,p 



instrument, which is obliged to pass through a lube, a ''»'='"="''';'" Z 

 exterior of this tube) :-The tube is.supported by straps, at about «o ^ngl^s 



of the mouton from the bottom o the hole. ^''^ ™°"\"" "^" '" ^ "^^1 

 has a square, and not a round, handle at its upper part. It is easily (.on'-e''.ed 

 t ;tt if the rqie is fastened to the middle point of the handle, which corres- 

 pords to the centre of gravity and to the cenlre of figure, he m™'"" »°^^'l 

 llrikc straight, and would only ;orm a hole equal to the dmmeter of the n- 

 srumento? the interior diameter of tl>^'"'f = ^' '^ '>'' l™"V,Un 'of the 

 rope is fastened is borne away one or two inches Irom hf ""'l;^!; 1»'"' °' 'Z 

 han.lle.the centre of gravity becoines displaced, and the '»»/', I^^,'nba„d 

 mouton inclines to the right or left-a position which causes it to rub and 



