May 22, 18S5.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



447 



0m' I-nbrntors' Column. 



Wa gilt her*, xceek by week, a terse description of such of the many 

 tiii'end'ons <i.« ire Mint may be of use to oxir readers. Where it is 

 possible, the number of the patent is quoted, to enable those who 

 desire fuller information to procure the specification from the 

 Patent Office in Cursitor-street, Chaiiccry-lane. VTe shall, gene- 

 rally speakin}, confine o\irselves to the more recent inventions; but 

 it often happens that an article comes under our notice which, 

 although not quite novel, is u-orthy of mention for its utility and 

 ingenuity. In such a case we should not hesitate to refer our 

 readers to it. And tchile xce thus increase the interest of our pages, 

 \ce at the same time assist the inventors by giving greater publicity 

 to their inventions (Knowledge being a popular magazine) than 

 is accorded by the most eicellent trade journals 



GYKOSCOPE. 



[Patent Xo. 6,S42. ISS-l.]— Mr. V. Falkner, of Southport, has 

 devised an improved gyroscopic apparatus for use in navigation, 

 geodesy, and astronomy. The invention is based on the well-known 

 property of rapidly-rotating masses, or gyroscopes, of resisting 

 tendencies to motion about otlier axes tban those of their rot.'i- 

 tion, and the ability of such masses, or gyroscopes, to remain 

 stationary with regard to the earth's rotary or curvilinear 

 motions, or motions of themselves, upon the earth's curved surface, 

 as instanced by Foncault's gyroscope. This property results from 

 the reversal of direction of tendency or momentum as the disc 

 rotates. A force tending to rotate the disc in one direction at one 

 instant acts against itself in the next when the disc has moved 

 round, thus setting up a stationary state against small forces in 

 its equilibrium when going round at high speed. 



Masses, discs, and gyros, suitabh" shaped, and mounted on 

 spindles in bearings, the form being preferably oup-like, to bring 

 rims as near about a centre as possible, and the directions of motion 

 reversed to one another, or so ordered as to balance rotational 

 effects of their friction in bearings, are caused to rapidly rotate by 

 friction and toothed gearing, acted upon bj- pistons, cylinders, 

 Ac. ; the whole being enclosed in a shell or ball exhausted of air. 

 The ball has two pivots or poles, mounted suitabU' in a horizontal 

 g\-mbal ring, within which it is free to turn about its axis. The 

 horizontal ring is again pivoted to a vertical ring and axis, the 

 combination admitting of rotary motion of the sphere or ball about 

 any axis. 



The whole is enclosed by an outer shell, cover, or receiver, and 

 power is communicated to the cylinders, &c., by compressing 

 and exhausting the air in the cover surrounding ball, or by alter- 

 nately varying fluid pressure between them. The exhaustion in 

 the interior of ball may be thus at intervals renewed and main- 

 tained, and the ball is free from tendencies to move, or prevent 

 motion by the communication of renewed speed to the gyros 

 within it, the resistances to be overcome being rendered sensibly 

 those of the pivots alone. The admission of fluid to and from the 

 cylinders is effected by openings into them disposed evenly about 

 the axis or pivots of sphere. 



When the gyros rotate at sufiicient velocity, the earth's rotary 

 motion will be repeated on the sphere, a greater or lesser degree of 

 such motion taking place as the instrument is moved east or west 

 on the earth's surface, and the axial inclination (parallel to earth's 

 axis) changing to a vertical to earth's surface at the poles, and to 

 a horizontal at the Equator, and so on ; but always maintaining a 

 tme compass direction (horizontally read). 



The instrument will thns show points of compass, local time, 

 (and by comparison with chronometer) longitude and the latitude, 

 when fixed or moved upon the earth's surface, with slight variations 

 for cnrvilinear motions of earth and solar system, which latter 

 may be read from a stationary instrument and utOised astrono- 

 mically. 



COMPASS. 



[Patent No. 6,288, 1884.]— Mr. F, M. Moore, of 102, High-street, 

 Belfast, has patented a form of mariner's compass, in which he 

 strives to overcome what is called the error of " heel." Usually, 

 correcting magnets are placed on the deck and on the binnacle, but 

 Mr. Moore points out that, as the ship rolls, the position of these 

 correctors is constantly changing in relation to the magnet. He 

 therefore suspends his needle in a lower well in the compass-box, 

 and attaches to the outside of the box, and in the same plane as the 

 needle, quadrantal correctors, consisting of soft iron balls. He also 

 places in the box, so that they may move with it, a number of cor- 

 recting magnets. The relation between the needle and the correctors 

 remains therefore invariable, whatever ordinary position the vessel 

 may assume. 



I (I.NIIi.Vt; 1 im.K i'KK.XiMliLliAToli. 



[Patent 8,29 1, 188k]— This invention, taken out by Mr. A. 

 llarvie, of St. John's-strcct, Islington, is more especially apjilicablo 

 to households where compactness is a desideratum. Wliou opened, 

 it is an ordinary iiorauil)ulator for two childrcu seated ris-ii-ris. 

 A key turned from the rear acts upon a screw, and contracts the 

 vehicle by drawing tho front section and wlicols under the back 



portion, the handle, at the same time, being raised into an upright 

 position. Tho principle appears to be new, and the carriage to 

 which it is applied has the advantages of being light, simple, and 

 elegant. When reduced to the smallest dimensions, the space 

 occupied does not exceed 21 inches either way. In virtue of this, 

 it may easily be made to traverse crooked or narrow passages and 

 staircases. 



FLAT-IRON HEATER, 



[Patented 1884.] — Mr. Bayley, of High-street, Poole, has 

 patented a useful article for home use. It is called a flat-iron 

 heater, and consists of a framework, or pocket, of iron, shaped to 

 contain one or more irons, adaptable for either an open or closed 

 grate. The frame is placed over the fire, and the iron is rapidly 



heated, being at the same time kept clean and ready for use. 

 Different forms are illustrated. Those with the plate are made to 

 cover up the openings in the close kitchener, while for open ranges 

 and other kindred stoves the iron plate is dispensed with, and 

 handles are substituted, which serve to support the well, or pocket, 

 by resting on the hobs of the grate and spanning across the fire. 



SixPE.vNY Telegrams. — Extensive preparations are being made 

 by the Government for the new system of sixpenny telegrams. The 

 extensions have been made on the basis of an estimate that the 

 reduction in tariff will cause an increase of the business of the de- 

 partment to the extent of 30 per cent, within the first year, and 

 the extra expenditure already incurred amounts to half a miUion 

 sterling. Of this amount £175,000 has been spent on new plant — 

 poles, wires, instruments, &c., whilst £25,000 has been laid out in 

 the erection of new buildings. The length of public road upon 

 which new poles have been erected in England is 850 miles, apart 

 from the extension on railway routes, and upon these poles there 

 have been placed 9,200 miles of new wires, in addition to which 

 there are aboct 11,600 miles of new wires put up on existing road 

 or railway-poles. In London, the number of offices at which the 

 pressure of business is met by the use of pneumatic tubes will be 

 increased by the use of an additional length of 7,500 yards of 

 tube. The increased staff throughout the Kingdom will include 

 1,200 new telegraphists and over 1,000 messengers. 



