June 15, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



573 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been corn-piled especially for the SCIENTIFIC 

 News by Messrs. W. P. Thompson and Boult, Patent Agents, of 

 2,2-^, High Holborn, London, W.C. ; Newcastle Chambers , Angel 

 Row, Nottingha^n ; Dude Buildings, Bank Street, Manchester; 

 and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Cricket Stumps. — Mr. J. Caffarey has patented cricket 

 stumps, which consist in fitting the lower ends of the 

 stumps into sockets attached to plates, which are pro- 

 vided with spikes for fixing in the ground. 



Superheating Gas for Lighting. — An apparatus for 

 superheating gas for lighting and other heating purposes, 

 has been patented by Messrs. Torkington and Ewins, of 

 Birmingham. The gas before passing to the burner is 

 superheated by traversing a pipe or pipes above the 

 flame, or else the gas entering by a channel ascends a 

 pipe to a chamber, where it is heated before returning by 

 a second tube to the burner. As adapted to gasaliers a 

 chamber is carried over each burner by radial concentric 

 tubes connected with the down pipe. 



Ammeter. — Messrs. W. E. Ayrton and J. Perry have 

 patented an ammeter. The instrument consists of 

 straight, fine, parallel wires of conducting material fas- 

 tened at both ends to supports, one of which is insulated, 

 fixed inside a short horizontal tube. The wires are 

 attached at their middles by means of a stirrup and a 

 fine wire connection to one end of a magnifying spring 

 under tension. The other end of the spring is fixed so 

 that its axis is at right-angles to that of the wires. On 

 passing a current through the wires joined electrically, 

 they stretch slightly, causing a pointer attached to the 

 end of a magnifying spring to rotate, and the amount of 

 rotation measures the current passing through the 

 instrument without the employment of multiplying gear- 

 ing. When used as an ammeter, a shunt is attached to 

 the wires, the shunt consisting of a metallic rod, which 

 is longer than the wires, and so does not heat. 



Signalling Apparatus. — Mr. C. Bade has patented an 

 acoustic signalling apparatus. In this apparatus carbonic 

 acid gas is utilised for sounding the signals instead of 

 steam. The apparatus consists of a reservoir capable of 

 withstanding considerable pressure. A foghorn is 

 secured to this reservoir by brackets, and has communi- 

 cation with it through a pipe provided with a cock ; the 

 reservoir is provided with a safety valve and pressure 

 guage. Metal cylinders for containing carbonic acid are 

 also connected to the reservoir by pipe unions, and have 

 valves. These cylinders are easily removable. To 

 operate the apparatus one of the valves in the cylinders 

 is opened, and the carbonic acid being released from 

 pressure becomes gaseous, flowing into the reservoir 

 until a desired pressure is attained therein. The valve 

 is then closed, and by opening the cock communicating 

 with the horn, the compressed gas escapes and sounds 

 the signal. 



Controlling Electric Currents. — Mr. H. Edmunds 

 has patented means for controlling, transforming, regu- 

 lating, synchronising, and registering electric currents. 

 The object to be attained is to convert currents of one 

 kind apart from the generator into currents of a diflFerent 

 character, for transforming an alternating current into a 

 continuous current for storing in secondary batteries 



and operating motors. The alternating current is passed 

 through a series of magnets with poles alternately re- 

 versed, and in proximity to this series is another corre- 

 sponding series of permanent magnets, magnetised from 

 any convenient source. These two series of magnets 

 have motion relatively to each other obtained from 

 any motor; in connection with these series is a commu- 

 tating arrangement, to which the alternating current to 

 be transformed is led, and by the collectors of which it 

 is taken off as a continuous current. The moving parts 

 are also connected to a counter for registering purposes. 



PuLSOMETER. — A pulsometer has been patented by 

 Mr. J. Reid. This pulsometer is provided with a steam- 

 moved piston valve controlling the admission of steam. 

 The construction is as follows : — The body of the pulso- 

 meter consists of two chambers, rectangular at the lower 

 part and at the upper part tapering, and terminating at 

 the top in an aperture for the admission of steam. Each 

 of these working chambers is furnished with a suction 

 and a delivery valve, and is provided near the top with 

 a small vent fitted with a regulating valve. The upper 

 apertures of the working chambers communicate by 

 passages with the interior of a cylindrical valve chest 

 on either side of a disc valve. This valve is contained 

 in a cavity within the valve chest, and whilst the 

 apparatus'is at work, steam is admitted to this cavity by 

 opening a steam cock provided for the purpose. The 

 disc valve resting at one end of the cavity bars the 

 passage for the steam in this direction, but leaves it free 

 to pass out of the cavity at the other end, and thence 

 into one of the working chambers of the pulsometer. 

 In starting the apparatus the disc valve is moved to and 

 fro in the cavity by means of a handle connected with 

 the valve rod, and worked by hand ; but when the appa- 

 ratus is in regular work the movement of the valve is 

 automatic. 



Till. — Mr. H. T. Davis has patented an automatic 

 recording till. On the top of the money-box and in 

 communication with it is fixed an upright tube for the 

 passage of coin. A metal case, double-fronted, revolves 

 upon this tube, the revolution being in one direction by 

 means of a pawl and ratchet wheel. On each face is an 

 opening covered by a plate of glass, and behind this and 

 affixed to the inside of the case is a frame with a back 

 and a drop-shelf. Above this frame is a slot in the 

 casing for dropping in the money on to the shelf. This 

 shelf is pivotted, and extends beyond the back of the 

 frame, resting upon the top of the tube. A portion of 

 the tube is cut away, so that, when the casing is rotated, 

 and upon reaching the cut-away portion, the drop-shelf 

 drops, and the coin slides down the same into the tube 

 and so to the money-box. Upon a platform is a roll of 

 paper passing over a face to a drum. This drum has a 

 ratchet wheel controlled by a tooth upon the tube. 

 When the casing is rotated, a portion of the paper corre- 

 sponding to an aperture in the casing is drawn on to the 

 drum. When a coin is dropped through the slot upon 

 the drop-shelf, the amount is written upon the paper ; 

 the machine is then revolved, and the customer sees his 

 coin and the amount properly entered. When the next 

 payment is made, the machine is revolved, the drop- 

 plate drops the coin into the tube, the paper containing 

 the figure is drawn away, forming a continuous record 

 upon the drum of the amount received, and leaves a 

 blank space for the next entry. uu. 



