Aug. 24, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



191 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been compiled especially for the SCIENTIFIC 

 News by Messrs. W. P. Thompson awrfBoULT, Patent Agents, of 

 323, High Holborn, London, W.C. ; Newcastle Chambers, Angel 

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

 and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Mechanical Toy. — A mechanical toy has been 

 patented by Mr. G. Cole. The invention relates to me- 

 chanical toys, in which a horizontal wheel, mounted in a 

 suitable frame, is made to rotate by the revolving of an 

 ordinary spinning top, by the former being so placed 

 over the cup in which the top is spun that the spike of 

 the latter is automatically brought in contact with the 

 disc, causing it to revolve. 



Promoting Circulation. — Means for promoting circu- 

 lation of blood in a living body has been patented by 

 Mr. E. Black, and consists in enclosing the affected part 

 of the body in a case which is so arranged that the air in 

 it can be partially exhausted. This exhaustion causes 

 the blood to flow to the part under operation ; after this 

 has taken place the exhaustion is stopped, and the air is 

 allowed to again enter the case, thus allowing the blood 

 to flow back again in the ordinary course. 



Secondary Batteries. — A secondary battery has 

 been^patented by Mr. H. Mower. The support for the 

 active material is in the form of a grid, the bent over 

 ends of which are joined by a portion of the same strip. 

 The spaces between the supporting strip are filled in with 

 the active material, which is mixed with hair to give it 

 coherence. One or more spaces are left open which 

 allow of the plate contracting and expanding more equally 

 without the active material becoming disintegrated and 

 falling therefrom. At the corners are projections to 

 keep the plates in position and shape when in the cells. 



Indicator. — An indicator for vehicles has been 

 patented by Mr. J. R. Lawrence. This invention is to 

 provide means for indicating to the driver of a vehicle 

 when the vehicle immediately in front is about to stop. 

 This indicator is hinged to one side of the rear of the 

 vehicle in such a way that when out of use it lies flat 

 against the side of the vehicle, and is thus held by a 

 spring. When the vehicle is stopping the brake is 

 applied, which turns the signal out at right angles to the 

 side by a rod pivotted to its inner end, and connected to 

 receiving an endway movement from the brake by 

 means of a bell-crank lever. 



Miner's Lamp. — Mr. J. Ashworth has patented a 

 miner's safety lamp to enable greater control to be had 

 over the wick flame when fire-damp explodes within the 

 lamp. Around the reservoir is placed a perpendicular 

 flanged ring, in which are air holes. The air is thus 

 directed against the flame, and produces better com- 

 bustion and illuminating power. The top of the oil 

 chamber is covered with a non-conducting substance. 

 The sieve ring carrying the gauze, through which air is 

 admitted to the combustion chamber, is formed with a 

 rectangular groove with holes bored through it, thus 

 increasing the area for the admission of air. 



Gymnastics. — A gymnastic apparatus has been pa- 

 tented by Mr. R. Parke. This apparatus is for expand- 

 ing the chest and straightening the shoulders, and con- 



sists of a footboard placed on the ground and marked to 

 show the positions in which the feet are to be placed. 

 Two poles are provided having weighted knobs on top, 

 the bottoms being formed to pass into holes in the board, 

 one on each side of the user. The user places the poles 

 in position, standing in the marked position and grasping 

 the poles at any convenient height. By working the 

 arms in an outstretched position towards the back, still 

 holding the holes, the weighted ends throw back the 

 shoulders, and thus expand the chest. 



Vent Peg. — An automatic vent peg has been patented 

 by Mr. C. Wayte. This peg is constructed of a hollow 

 metal cone, the diameter and taper being the same as 

 ordinarily, but the cone is shorter and slit downwards 

 from the top in three of four places, so that when the 

 upper part of the cone, which projects beyond the cask 

 after the cone has been driven in, is laid over upon and 

 level with the cask, the slit portions of the cone can be 

 used for extracting the peg by means of pliers ; over 

 the smaller end of the cone is placed a piece of elastic 

 tube, having five or six incisions, and made air-tight at 

 its end. A piece of wire long enough to enter the small 

 end of cone is introduced into the elastic tube, thus 

 forming a valve which allows air to enter the cask when 

 required, and prevent the escape of liquid when the cask 

 is rolled. The pressure within the cask causes the in- 

 cisions to close up round the wire inside the tube. 



Preventing Collisions. — A method of preventing col- 

 lisions at sea has been patented by Mr. L. Somzee. The 

 invention consists in transmitting electric cui rents from 

 one vessel to another by means of the water for actuating 

 signals and also in means actuated by the current which 

 stops the way of the vessel. For operating the signals 

 at a distance powerful sources of electricity are placed 

 on the vessels, communicating with two electrodes placed 

 in the water, so that should another vessel provided with 

 these devices approach, the resistance between the elec- 

 trodes of the different vessels will be less than that 

 between the electrodes of the same vessel ; at this 

 moment a current will pass from one vessel to the other, 

 and the signals will be sounded. The currents passing 

 from vessel to vessel act upon electro-magnets, causing 

 them to set in action mechanical devices for stopping the 

 ship or changing its course. 



Electrical Signals. — An apparatus for transmitting 

 and receiving electrical signals has been patented by Mr. 

 T. A. Garrett. The required current is produced in the 

 transmitting instrument by electro magnetic induction. 

 Pieces of iron have an oscillatory motion imparted to 

 them by means of a spring made to vibrate by being 

 moved out of the ordinary position and then set free. 

 The pieces of iron thus cause stationary iron cores to be 

 magnetised and demagnetised successively in the same 

 direction, and round these cores are wound coils of wire 

 in electrical connection with the line, so that the move- 

 ments of the pieces of iron cause currents in the line 

 alternately in opposite directions. In the receiving in- 

 strument pieces of iron attached to springs are vibrated 

 by currents which pass through the lines, and also 

 through stationary coils of wire. The pieces of iron are 

 inductively magnetised by fixed permanent magnets, and 

 are moved alternately in opposite directions by t u 

 currents in the lines and fixed magnets. 



