Ju.vE 19, 1885.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE • 



635 



(J?ur I-nl:ifntor5' Column. 



We give here, treefc by ireeJt, o terse description of such o/ the many 

 inventions as tee think may he o/use to cur readers. Where it is 

 possible, the nuviher of the patent is quoted, to enalle those M'ho 

 desire fuller i)i/t>mi<i(i<>7i to procure the specijication from the 

 Patent Office in Cursitor-street, Chancery-lane. We shall, gene- 

 rally speak ino, confine ourselves to the more recent inventions; hut 

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

 although not quite novel, is icorthy of mention for its utility and 

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

 readers to it. And trhile xee thus increase the interest of our pages, 

 we at the same time assist the invattors hy giving greater piihlicity 

 to their inventions (Knowi.kpge hcing a poj-nilar magazine) than 

 ie accorded hy the most excellent trade journals 



FLOATING BREAKWATER. 



[Patent No. 5,401. 1SS+.]— This invention, bj- Mr. J. P. Moss, of 

 Winchester, consists of a breakwater formed so as to float on the 

 surface of the sea, and attached on the side from which the waves 

 may be expected to buoys or cables moored to the bottom of the 

 sea. The breakwater itself consists of a number of small boys to 

 be so fastened together that each may float on the water. Each 

 wave, on passing through the breakwater, will, it is claimed, 

 gradually lose its crest or upper portion until it emerges to the 

 leeward of the breakwater reduced to a comparatively harmless 

 size. In placing the breakwater in position, space can be left for 

 ships to pass through in order to get to or from the leeward of the 

 breakwater, but in cases of emergency ships could be allowed to 

 drive over the breakwater, and would thereby do but little damage 

 compared to the importance of saving life and cargoes, as well as 

 the ships themselves. 



COMBINATION LAUNDRY AND HOT-AIR STOVE. 



[Patent No. 2,056. 18S5.]— This stove is patented by Mr. 

 Sonthall, and manufactured by Messrs. Hardy & Padmore. Its use 

 in the laundry is for heating irons, which are placed in tiers around 

 it, as shown in the sectional view. The recess provided for each 

 iron is made to slope inwards towards the fire, thereby obtaining a 

 <iuicker and more direct heat on the face of the iron, and rendering 





it leas liable to be knocked off. The irons are, indeed, securely held, 

 although easily lifted off for use. A large number of irons are 

 provided for at one time, as the recesses are placed on all sides of 

 the stove. The two outer drawings show the exterior as arranged 

 in the one case for the irons, and in the other as a hot-air stove, by 

 the simple addition of a loose perforated panel fitted into each 

 recess. The combustion is under control by a sliding-door at 

 bottom, the fire being charged at a hinged door in the top. The 

 stove has an elegant appearance, which will doubtless help to com- 

 mend it. 



BILL AND PRUNING-HOOK. 



[Patent No. 7,095. 1884.]— This tool, by Messrs. Norris & Sons, 

 of Stourbridge, is arranged so as to have cutting-edges on all sides, 



to answer the purpose of bill, pruning, and trimming hook, 

 slasher, spud, and wood-chopper. It consists of a long steel blade, 

 litted into a serviceable handle, anil gardeners and farmers should 

 tind it of service. With strcnc,'th and durability it combines o.\treino 

 lightuess. 



AUTOMATIC GATE OPENKK. 



[Patent No. 10,082. ISS-t].— Mr. II. V. KudHton Head, of Messrs. 

 Bowes Scott & Read, Broadway Chambers, Westminster, has lately 

 brought out a patent for automatically opening and shutting 

 gates. By means of these improvements a road-gate can bo made 

 to automatically open and close on the apiiroach and passing of a 

 wheeled-vehicle, and, when applied to gates of railway crossings, 

 they can be opened and closed from a signal-box or other convenient 

 position, near or distant. The gate i.s governed by a small lever, 

 with treadles lixed at such ,a distance that, after a vehicle has 

 passed them, there is yet room for the ga(o to ojien. Tlio vehicle 

 is driven so that one wheel shall push down and pass over the up- 

 standing part of the treadle. Then, by means of a bar and lever, 

 the gate is thrown out of the vertical platio, and will swing open of 

 itself, until jiassing through an angle of 00° it will hang true again, 

 and then remain open. The vehicle then ])asses the gate and is 

 driven over the second treadle, which acts in the samo way as tho 

 first, and causes the gate to close of itself. 



Factory or oflice or otlier doors may bo worked in the same 

 manner. 



©iir Cbfss Column* 



By Mephisto. 



THE BRITISH CHESS ASSOCIATION. 



THE Council of the B.C. A. have made strong and praiseworthy 

 efforts to make their first meeting a success. The programme 

 is drawn up on a liberal scale, and contains as tho chief event an 

 even tournament, open to all comers, besides several interesting 

 minor events. In the tournament — which began on Monday last — 

 the following sixteen players are competing: — Bird, Donnisthorpe, 

 Gunsberg, Guest, Hewitt, Mills, MacDonnell, Mortimer, Loman, 

 Mackeson, Pollock, Rabson, Reeves, De Soyres, Wainwright, and 

 Rumboll. The presence of three first-rates, while raising the 

 standard of play, and conse(|uently, also, the public interest iu 

 this event, has not had the effect of reducing pliiy to a dull level. 

 In the first thirty games played, there was hardly any instance of 

 close games being deliberately chosen, the only exception being 

 Bird, who plays the Sicilian as second player. 



In the first day's play Mr. Donnisthorpe won a hard-fought game 

 against the Rev. MacDonnell, the former player conducting the 

 end game in masterly manner. Mr. Loman, a young player 

 possessing great natural talent for the game, won a very fine game 

 of Mr. Mills, of which we give the end. 



On Tuesday the Rev. J. De Soyres drew against the Rev. Mac- 

 Donnell in creditable fashion, Mr. De .Soyres having ventured upon 

 the counter-attack of the two Knights defence. A well-played 

 game occurred between Messrs. Gunsberg and Pollock, the former 

 player choosing the debut of the Centre G.umbit. Donnisthorpe 

 continued victorious, playing well against Pollock. 



Altogether the tournament proceeds in a most satisfactory 

 manner, the public interest in it being evident by a large atten- 

 dance of spectators. Play takes place in a good room furnished by 

 Simpsons, in the Strand, and is carried on both in tho afternoon 

 and evening. Amongst the daily press we mention the Standard 

 and Echo as likely to supply current information. 



The score, including Tues''ay night's play, stood as follows : — 



R. Loman 1 



W. W. Mackeson, Q.C 



W. H. K. Pollock 1 



R. Robson 



H.A.Reeves 1 



Rev. J. De So}'rea ; 2{ 



G. E. Wainwright 1 



A. Rumboll 



Some of the above players have played more games than others. 



H. E. Bird 4 



W. Donnisthorpe 3 



J. Gunsberg 2 



A. Guest 2 



T. Hewitt 1 



D. Y. -Mills 



Rev. G. A. MacDonnell IJ 



J. Mortimer 2 



The following terminatioti of a game, referred to above, played 

 on the first day of the British Chess Association's Tournament, 



