AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 193 



Both of these portable generators are now prominently before 

 the public, and as neither claims to produce a better gas than the 

 other, the question of comparative merit is narrowed to that of 

 economy of working, and adaptedness to be safely operated by 

 the unskilled hands to, which such apparatus must be necessarily 

 entrusted. 



Your committee, while warmly commending both, as highly 

 meritorious and useful, do not hesitate to express their opinion, 

 that the meed of best for the purposes designed, fairly belongs to 

 the apparatus submitted by Mr. Coates. 



Improved Argand Gas Burner. 

 W. W. Eatchelder, 34 West 34th street, New-York. 



Mr. Batchelder exhibits an argand gas burner, which produces 

 a steady and smokeless flame, without the aid of a chimney. It 

 is a very important and long desired improvement on that kind 

 of burner, for since the introduction of gas very many devices 

 have been offered to the public for obtaining a steady argand light. 

 Your committee are not aware that, hitherto even an approxima- 

 tion to this end had been made, without the employment of a 

 chimney, and, under the intense heat, these chimneys are con- 

 stantly breaking. 



Mr. Batchelder's burner has also another and important fea- 

 ture — that this steady light is obtained at a very low pressure of 

 the gas — thus economizing in that. 



The inventor claims a greater amount of light from an equal 

 quantity of gas than is offered by any other burner, and proposes 

 to afford the committee an opportunity of verifying his assertions. 

 This they will gladly avail themselves of, and in case he should 

 succeed, which now appears highly probable, they will make a 

 more extended report. 



Had they been enabled to verify his claims they would unhesi- 

 tatingly have recommended the gold medal of the Institute, but 

 as at present advised, they propose that the next in grade be 

 awarded, and Avith the understanding that it may yet be raised. 



\A silver medal awarded. 



[Am. Inst.1 13 



