S9 VIE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANIC ARTS. 605 



found in Idanha Velha, Portugal: " Claudius Rufus returns his thanks to Jupi- 

 ter for having permitted him to find one hundred and thirty pounds of gold." 



The sources of wealth have ceased to flow, and the endeavors of several 

 Englishmen to reopen them have been unsuccessful. Bohemia, Mahren, Silesia, 

 and Tyrol, all have produced gold, and the receding of the glaciers has caused 

 old mines to be uncovered, while upon the ItaHan side, at Monte Rosa, Val Se- 

 sina, and Val Ansaca, gold mines are still worked to-day, although with indiffer- 

 ent success. The only works of any note are those of Kremnitz, Hungary. It 

 may, therefore, be safely asserted that Europe, is completely exhausted in this 

 respect. — From " The Decrease of Gold,'" by F. Von Briesen, in Popular Science 

 Monthly for February. 



SOME RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANIC ARTS. 



BY F. B. BROCK, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Combined Sad Iron Heater and Meat-Roaster. — This novel invention 

 has its base provided with a heating chamber to receive the irons. A lid or cover is 

 hinged to the base and drops automatically over and covers the heating chamber. 

 It is provided with slots open at their outer ends to receive the handles of the 

 irons, and a slide is placed on the under side of the lid and is provided with a 

 series of slots open at their outer ends and coinciding with the slots in the lid. 

 Mechanism is provided whereby the slide may be moved laterally for the purpose 

 of opening or closing the slots in the lid. 



Automatic Feed- Water Regulator for Steam Boilers. — This new au- 

 tomatic feed-water controller for steam-generators consists of an upright cylindri- 

 cal chamber, communicating with the steam and water spaces of the boiler. The 

 •chamber has also a steam eduction port communicating with the actuating, cylin- 

 <der of the feed water pump. A float is arranged to control the egress of steam 

 •from said chamber, and a horizontal disc is suspended from the float and spans 

 the chamber to receive a direct vertical water-pressure, thereby overcoming any 

 suction that may be exerted on the float by the steam-eduction port. 



Steam Packing Material. — A late invention consists of a steam-packing 

 material composed of granulated strips or shavings of cork, asbestos and dissolved 

 gum, covered with a layer of asbestos and linen. 



Method of Stretching Belts. — An improved process for stretching belts 

 for machinery consists of first opening the belt through its entire length, then 

 ■stretching it over two or more rollers and connecting the ends by a suitable 

 -stretching device and finally applying tensile strain to its two ends and increas- 

 ing it from time to time, until elasticity of the belt is exhausted. 



