AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 611 



ciaHy our veneering I consider an imitation, a cheating show of a 

 false original, which was only to be rejoiced at because its impro- 

 priety is so apparent as to lead to the detection of false principles 

 less obviously shown by other examples. Architecture I believe 

 would be greatly benefitted by the cheapening and improvement 

 of the manufacture of iron, but only when builders shall encourage 

 the first principles of that art, viz : the studious and conscien- 

 tious application of every material to the purposes and forms for 

 which it is best adapted. 



The Chairman announced that. 



The subject for the next meeting proposed by the committee, 

 would be " Wire rope." 



Adjourned. HENRY MEIGS, Secretary. 



April 23, 1856. 



Present — Messrs. Backus, Wallace, Stetson, Tillman, Fisher, 

 Lamb, Eell of Kingston, Wm. B. Leonard, Breisach, Cham- 

 bers, Trask of Pittsburgh, Penn., Professor Nash of Vermont, 

 Larned, Reynolds of Concord, and others, thirty-three members 

 in all. 



Samuel D. Backus in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. 



Mr. Leonard spoke of the advantage to inventors of having this 

 repository to exhibit their machines before competent judges, free 

 of expense, and that the publicity thus given to their new inven- 

 tions was a security against piracy. He moved that this Club, 

 when desired, should devote the first three-quai-ters of an hour 

 of its sittings to the examination of new machines. Carried. 



The Chairman called upon Mr. Lamb of Mystic, Conn., to ex- 

 plain Whipple's patent nipper block and hook, 



Mr. Lamb — This is an invention of Jonathan Whipple, Jr., of 

 Hopedale, Milford, Massachusetts. 



It forms the subject of two patents, the last of which bears date 

 May 22, 1855. 



For a minute drawing and description of this invention, see 

 Scientific American of March 8th, 1856. 



Its advantages over the common pulley block are, 



1st. It securely holds what is gained from pull to pull without 

 loss. Thus an exhausting outlay of strength in holding the rope 

 is avoided, and the operator enjoys a renovated strength to ex- 

 pend unon every successive effort. To say nothing of other ad- 



