524 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



railroad trucks invented by Mr. Delany. These are so contrived 

 that on curves they run with uninterrupted velocity without any 

 danger of deraillement — running off the rail — and the perform- 

 ance on the right line is just as good as other common trucks, and 

 with the special advantage of the same safety as on the curves^ 

 because the wheels assume an angular position precisely accord- 

 ing to the greater or less radius of the curve as far as the angle 

 of 45*^5 or more if necessary. And the wheels are as strong as 

 common wheels, and from their angular position are a great deal 

 less liable to failure. Mr. Delany then placed the brass model 

 truck upon a small rail four feet long with semi- circular curves 

 at the ends, and by varying the inclination of this railway alter- 

 nately, as the truck approached either curve, it was found 

 instantly to adopt the angle of its wheels to the velocity, and 

 turn the curves almost like a ball in a sling. The novel scene 

 caused every member of the club to unite in deep and loud 

 applause. 



The Chairman called up the regular subject " Locks," and Mr, 

 W. Reynolds exhibited the lock of Mr. Linus Yale, Jr., late of 

 Newport, N. Y. The one exhibited costs |250. Mr. Reynolds 

 took it apart and explained its construction fully. The peculiar 

 character of it consists in its being constructed without springs, 

 and not materially injured by rust, besides its peculiar key, its 

 incapability of being loaded with powder so as to do it any injury 

 whatever. It was explained as not being capable of being picked 

 because of the displacement of the parts by its own key, so as to 

 be inaccessible to any known pick lock process, even that of 

 Hobbs. 



Mr. Meigs — Denon has engraved an Egyptian lock made of 

 wood of very clumsy construction, and such were the locks of 

 the Greeks and Romans, or at least similar. Bars or bolts sus- 

 pended by chains were drawn backwards or forwards by means of 

 a hook or key, or raised out of a latch and let fall, or a bolt 

 cogged was caught in one of the teeth and drawn back by the 

 key. Sometimes they used a box with a pin, which box received 

 a bar which was confined by the pin. A key in the form of a 

 ice (called Balanagra,) disengaged the pin and the bar turned or 



