Oct. 5, 1 888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



373 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been compiled especially for the Scientific 

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

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

 Row Nottingham; Ducie Buildings, Bank Street, Manchester; 

 andt,Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Horse Shoe. — A horse shoe has been patented by 

 Messrs. R. Lamb and J. Surthenbank. It is formed of 

 metal, and is fastened to the hoof and to the shoe already 

 upon it by means of suitable devices. This second shoe 

 has in it spikes or projections which prevent the horse 

 from slipping, and may easily be placed upon or taken 

 off when desired without disturbing the ordinary shoe. 



Tea. — A method of preparing tea has been patented 

 by Mr. H.Jackson. By the use of this invention the 

 astringent quality known as " tannin " is neutralised or 

 destroyed. It is carried out by spraying over the tea a 

 solution consisting of water and a suitable proportion of 

 carbonate, and then drying it so as to evaporate the 

 water, leaving the alkali on the tea. This has the desired 

 effect. 



Boats. — A collapsible boat has been patented by Mr. 

 C. Henderson. The object is to construct boats so that 

 they may be stowed over each other in great quantities 

 under the present launching appliances on the decks of 

 vessels and without taking up more room than hitherto 

 required. The frames of the boat are jointed to their 

 gunwales and to fore and aft sides at the keel. These 

 longitudinal moving sides allow the frames to slide in a 

 fore and aft direction, and the gunwales to fall in a per- 

 pendicular manner ; the boat thus collapses, and may be 

 folded down to a horizontal position. 



Fuel. — An artificial fuel has been patented by Mr. 

 W. H. Nevill. This invention utilises the inferior sorts 

 of fuel such as breeze, small anthracite, and other inferior 

 fuel or hydrocarbons. To any of these substances is 

 added pitch prepared by adding to it in a boiling state 

 ordinary silicate of soda, after which it is allowed to set 

 and then crushed for mixing with the above substances. 

 This mixture is heated to produce an intimate admixture. 

 While so heated common coal tar in a boiling state is 

 added. The entire compound is then well mixed, then 

 placed in moulds and subjected to pressure, after which 

 it is ready for use. 



Electric Circuits. — An apparatus for detecting and 

 localising faults in alternate current electric circuits has 

 been patented by Mr. W. P. Thompson, on behalf of 

 Mr. G. Westinghouse. The invention consists in placing 

 two electric converters in circuits which may be com- 

 pleted from the respective poles of a generator with the 

 earth, and in applying to each an indicating device, such 

 as an incandescent electric lamp, included in their re- 

 spective secondary circuits. In case there is a ground 

 connection with one of the lines, the converter connected 

 with the corresponding line will be short-circuited, and 

 the consequent variation in the light will indicate that 

 such false connection is made. 



Soda. — An improved manufacture of soda has been 

 patented by Mr. J. B. Thompson. The invention con- 

 sists in reducing the whole of the sulphide solution to 



neutral carbonate by heating the solution as soon as bi- 

 carbonate has been deposited, which decomposes the 

 bicarbonate into neutral carbonate and carbonic acid, 

 and this acid reacts upon the residual sulphide, produc- 

 ing neutral carbonate and hydrogen sulphide, which 

 passes off and leaves in solution neutral carbonate only. 

 The form of carbonator consists essentially of a series of 

 discs mounted on a spindle, the discs having been cut 

 down and twisted into the whorls of a continuous screw, 

 and has an arrangement of pipes and cocks for the gas 

 and solution. 



Secret Writing. — A method of secret writing has 

 been patented by Mr. M. A. Weir. The method can be 

 applied to any type-writing machine, and may be carried 

 out as follows : — The machines are in duplicate, so that 

 the two index scales correspond in the arrangement 

 with each other, but differ in the arrangement ot 

 the characters from any other pairs of machines. Each 

 machine is capable of writing in cipher. The index 

 scale pointer and type are made moveable, so that they 

 may be shifted out of their correct position, thus when 

 writing with the machine the characters which the 

 operators appear to be writing are really different. In 

 deciphering it is only necessary to shift the movable 

 parts in the opposite direction, and then, by printing the 

 characters of the secret communication, the correct one 

 will be printed. 



Electric Bell Indicator. — An indicator for electric 

 bells has been patented by Messrs. A. Morley and H. 

 W. Wilson. The core for the electro-magnet is made 

 of malleable cast-iron in one casting, with an angle 

 bracket for fixing it in place, and with a taper flange at 

 each end of core ; it has also a flange for affixing a spring 

 which carries the armature. This casting is japanned, 

 which serves for insulation. The core is wound with 

 silk-covered wire. An indicator is combined with the 

 armature, and is of the usual disc form, and at one end 

 of a double-armed lever where it has a notch that catches 

 over a peg on the armature, the fulcrum screw for the 

 lever being at the end of the casting, and the other arm 

 of lever having an eye with a half-twist. This eye 

 connects it to a re-setting bar. As the keeper is attracted 

 the disc is released from the peg and falls down until 

 stopped by a stop thereon coming in contact with a part 

 of the casting. 



Electric Circuits. — An apparatus for making and 

 breaking electrical circuits in connection with alarm 

 boxes has been patented by Mr. F. T. Schmidt. The 

 periphery of the wheel secured on the " click wheel 

 shaft" of the call box is divided into separate parts, 

 each part having projecting pins corresponding to the 

 number of the box, and an arm extending from the 

 shaft. At the central station is fixed a similar apparatus, 

 but having the distance from the periphery of each 

 part to the centre varying, by which means the electric 

 current is diverted from one local magnet to another. 

 When a signal is sent from an alarm box, the electric 

 current sets in motion the apparatus at the central 

 station, connected to two local magnets which operate 

 dial pointers for actuating a needle, by which a revolv- 

 ing disc controlled by a clock is pierced in a manner so 

 that the time and number of district from whence the 

 signal was sent is indicated thereon in addition to the 

 number being given by the pointers. 



