380 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. B. Giirvcy thong'lit the inventor sliould state the reasons wliicli led 

 him to use tlie metals of his combination. He could not have fixed the 

 Ijroportions used, by accident or gniess work. 



Mr. Arnold replied that he was led to his discovery while attempting. to 

 make a metallic can for the preservation of fruit, that would be entirely 

 impervious to air. 



The Chairman remarked, that it was the practice of the association not 

 to entertain any new plan or method that was not fully explained. The 

 reason g'iven, for not stating the proportions of the metals used in this 

 alloy, are that the European patents have not yet been secured. Copper, 

 zinc and tin, have been previous!}' used in combination with ir(in. A mem- 

 ber of the Institute was quite enthusiastic over ex].)eriments he made several 

 years ago in wliicii a small portion of copper was mixed with cast iron but 

 for some good reason doubtless, tiie plan was abandoned. It will be remem- 

 bered that Franklinite iron, containing botli mangaiiese and zinc, was 

 highly recommended before this society on account of the increased strength 

 accruing from this alloy. The iron of commerce is never pure. It may 

 be strengthened in three ways, by removing certain impurities, by turning 

 it into steel or by adding small proportions of other metals. We hope Mr, 

 Arnold has made a real advance; but practice alone must determine the 

 value of his invention. 



Feed Water Heater. 



This heater, the invention of Lamon & Gaskill, is designed for keeping 

 the supply water of the high pressure at or near the boiling point, and for 

 saving a portion of the condensed steam. The model exhibited was taken 

 apart to show its construction. It consists of a series of disks, the first 

 having a pair of raised projections winding from the centre outwards, 

 covered by a plate, and connected by a pipe with the second disk, which 

 has projections winding from the outside to the centre. Several pairs of 

 disks are thus connected bj' a pipe at the centre, so as to complete a pas- 

 sage from the top to the bottom. The wliole is enclosed in a drum. 

 The main advantivge of heating the feed water is, that nearly all the mine- 

 ral substances in the water are deposited in the heater instead of the boiler, 

 from which the scale can be readily removed. Messrs Lee, Fisher and 

 other gentlemen concurred in the opinion that the arrangement secures the 

 object intended and is simple and cheap in construction. 



The following is an explanation of the accompanying illustration : 



The exhaust enters the pipe E at the bottom of the heater. The steam 

 first acting upon the bottom of the lowest channel plate and the water below 

 the plate, theii passing upwards between the outer cylinder and the border 

 of this cliaimel plate, it next comes in contact with the water flowing 

 through the channels of said plate and the bottom of the plate next above, 

 then through an opening in the centre of this plate, and so on alternately 

 until it finds its exit through the pipe D. 



These steam passages being large no obstruction is offered to the passage 

 of steam, consequently there is no back action. 



The cold water enters through a pipe in the dome (not represented) and 

 flowing through the channels to the circumference of the scroll, it passes 



