310 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Mar. 30, I? 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The folU-wing list has been compiled especially for the SCIENTIFIC 

 News by Messrs. W. P. THOMPSON and BouLT, Patent Agents, of 

 Tfi-t^, High Holborn, London, W.C. ; Newcastle Chambers, Angel 

 Row, Nottingham; Ducie Buildings, Bank Street, Manchester; 

 and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Desk Ruler.- — Mr. J. Stebbing, Potterspury, near 

 Stony Stratford, has patented a ruler. This invention 

 has for its object to provide an ordinary desk ruler with 

 means whereby straight and parallel lines may be more 

 expeditiously drawn by hand. Instead of the round 

 ruler, with a plain smooth surface, the invention consists 

 in making a ruler parallel from end to end, and having 

 the exterior grooved, such grooves being pitched fine or 

 coarse according to the distance required between the 

 lines to be ruled. 



Electric Battery. — The Electrical Power Storage 

 Company, Limited, Great Winchester Street, London, 

 and H. W. Butler, Wynne Road, Brixton, have patented 

 an electric battery. The object is to provide means 

 whereby the plates of batteries are maintained at the 

 proper distance apart, and injurious contact prevented, 

 whilst allowing proper circulation of the electrolyte. 

 According to this invention there is situated between every 

 two adjacent plates a perforated separator of vulcanite 

 having formed on, secured to or passed through it projec- 

 tions which extend outwards from the sides of the separator. 



FoMiGATOR. — Mr. W. Finch, Bridge Cottage, Great 

 Shelford, has patented a fumigating apparatus. It con- 

 sists of a closed chamber provided with means for heating 

 and vapourising the fumigating substance, a receptacle 

 for the fumigating substance arranged above the means 

 for heating and vapourising same, and a revolving fan 

 for impelling a current of air over the fumigating sub- 

 stance and leading the fumes thereof to an outlet from 

 which, by flexible tubing, they may be led to the place 

 where they are required for use ; the whole being 

 arranged in a case permitting access to the heating 

 medium, to the receptacle for the fumigating substance, 

 and for admitting the current of air. 



Self-Locking Bolt. — Mr. H. J. Moore, of Clerkenwell 

 Close, London, has patented a self-locking bolt. This 

 invention consists of a lever attached to the handle of the 

 door, so that the bolt is thrown thereby in the required 

 direction. This bolt is slotted in such a manner that a 

 spring lock comes into operation, and prevents the return 

 of the bolt until the bolt of the lock is raised either by the 

 key or inside knob. The number of bolts are not limited, 

 but one lock controls all. An arrangement is also made 

 by which the handle of the door is detached from the 

 lever which throws the door bolt, and consists of two 

 plates, toothed on the face, the one carrying the lever 

 which is intended to throw the bolt running free on the 

 spindle, a helical spring keeping it apart from the other, ex- 

 cept when the handle is pulled outward to make them engage. 



Vapour Bath. — Mr. G. Thompson, Hargate Lane, 

 West Bromwich, Staffs, has patented a vapour bath. The 

 bath, which is box-shaped, is fitted with a sliding per- 

 forated seat and a grating for the protection of the feet. 

 The top of the bath is fitted with two horizontal slides, 

 which, when in their closed position, encircle the neck of 

 the bather. A suitable boiler for the generation of 

 water vapour is provided, which communicates directly 



with the bath by means of a pipe, and indirectly through 

 a second boiler, in which the necessary medicated herbs 

 are distilled. An ordinary vapour bath or a medicated 

 vapour bath can thus be obtained at will. A thermometer 

 is let into the door of the bath. Suitable means for the 

 regulation of the vapour supply are provided under the 

 control of the bather. 



Stringed Instruments. — An improvement in musical 

 instruments has been patented by Mr. S. S. Bromhead on 

 behalf of J. D. Loppentein, United States. This inven- 

 tion relates to musical instruments played upon with a 

 bow, and consists in the introduction of a bar into the 

 body of the instrument between its top and bottom, one 

 end of the bar being fastened to the block by which the 

 neck of the instrument is held, and the other to a knob 

 that supports the string holder, thereby forming a longi- 

 tudinal connection between these points, and also a ful- 

 crum for a cross piece, upon one end of which stands the 

 sounding-post supporting the top of the instrument while 

 its other end is held by a screw, the raising or lowering 

 of which alters the pressure of the sounding-post against 

 the underside of the top of the instrument, and thereby 

 enriches its tone by an increased vibration. 



Thermostatic Water Tap. — An automatic thermo- 

 static cut off for water pipes has been patented by 

 Messrs. W. G. Browne, J. Kelly, W. A. Hemphill, and 

 T. P. Westmoreland, Atlantic, United States. The 

 object is to cut off the water in the supply pipes before 

 the temperature falls sufficiently low to freeze the water. 

 The weighted arm of the valve is held in a raised (open) 

 position by means of a spring bolt fitting into a loop or 

 aperture in the bar, and provided with a nut for adjust- 

 ment. Upon the bolt is a sliding collar connected to one 

 end of a thermostatic band hinged to the frame. This 

 band consists of four compound bars of brass and steel 

 or two other suitable metals. The two inner bars are 

 hinged together at both ends and the two outer bars are 

 brazed to these. When the temperature falls sufficiently 

 low the bending of the band disengages the bar from the 

 spring bolt, and the valve is closed by the weighted 

 lever. The whole is enclosed in a casing having a 

 hinged cover, and fixed on a support attached to the pipe. 



Music Recorder. — An apparatus for recording ex- s 

 temporised music has been patented by Mr. C. H. Wall 

 and Mr. O. Ostrom, Aberdeen. A wooden bar runs over 

 the back of the keys and carries above each key two 

 springs, which form the terminals of separate insulated 

 electric wires gathered into ropes. When a note is 

 struck the two terminals are pressed into contact. The 

 circuit of each electric wire includes an electro-magnet 

 which, when excited, draws down a spring metal strip 

 carrying a roller at the end. The roller presses upon a 

 drum over which a paper band is travelling uniformly. 

 The drum being covered with carbon paper, lines are 

 marked on the underside of the travelling band, of length 

 proportional to the tune of the note. A metronome 

 controls electrically two hammers, which mark the paper 

 band to indicate the bars. The rollers, strips and elec- 

 tro-magnets are arranged in two rows, one each side of 

 the drum, and in the order of the keys. When it is 

 desired to translate the music into staff notation the paper 

 band is drawn beneath a glass strip, which is divided 

 into spaces corresponding with the rollers and marked 

 with the staff signs. 



