Nov. 30, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



567 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been compiled especially for the Scientific 

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

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

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

 and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Gauge. — Mr. H. Nash has patented a liquid gauge for 

 gauging the contents of vessels. It comprises a spiral rod, 

 which is rotated by a nut sliding longitudinally thereon, 

 and which cannot rotate. This nut is operated by a suitable 

 float, to which it is attached, the float being guided by a 

 tube forming a case for the instrument. An index is at- 

 tached to the head of the spiral rod, and is adapted to 

 move over a dial secured to the upper end of the tube. 



Insulating Wire. — Mr. W. S. Smith has patented 

 apparatus for insulating or covering wire. The ap- 

 paratus consists essentially of a drum, into which the 

 material is fed by rollers or other feeding mechanism, 

 and within which are a toothed ring and a pinion gear- 

 ing together, one of them being driven from without, and 

 also a partition, past which the material is carried by 

 the teeth of the ring and pinion, and is forced out 

 towards a die, through which the wire is led. 



Electric Lamp. — Mr. T. A. Edison has patented a cut- 

 out device for electric lamps. The lamp is constructed, 

 in the usual manner, of a glass vacuum chamber and a 

 carbon filament placed therein, but in carrying out this 

 invention it is also provided with a spring cut-out held 

 out of action by a fine wire situated between the leading- 

 in wires, whereby when the wire is fused, by the filament 

 of the lamp breaking, the cut-out is released, and the lamp 

 is cut out of circuit, which prevents the destruction of the 

 lamp and its socket and the continuity of the series circuit. 



Clear Water from Rivers. — Mr. S. A. Johnson has 

 patented a method of obtaining clear or filtered water 

 from rivers and other sources. For this purpose a float 

 is employed which floats on the surface of the river and 

 carries a perforated chamber at any distance below the 

 surface. This chamber is connected by a flexible pipe 

 with a filter, from which a pipe descends into a vessel 

 which is at such a level as to enable the water to be 

 drawn off by syphon action. By adopting this method 

 both the surface debris and the bottom mud or other 

 matter are avoided. 



Lithography. — Mr. J. L. Mills has patented a method 

 of lithographing by sand-blast. The lithographic stone 

 is coated with gum of suitable thickness, upon which, 

 when dry, is placed a tracing of the picture it is desired 

 to engrave on the stone. Then by directing the sand- 

 blast in proper manner the gum is punctured in an 

 artistic manner until the whole of the tracing and light' and 

 shade appear to be perforated through the gum and into 

 *he stone. After this, lithographic grease is poured over 

 e coated stone, thus imperforating the punctures. The 

 im is then washed off with water and the stone etched 

 the ordinary way. 



Removing Scale. — Mr. H. J. Haddan has patented an 

 apparatus for removing scale from pipes and tubes, on 

 behalf ot Herr A. Rast, of Austria. This implement 

 comprises a shaft adapted to be rotated by a crank handle 

 at one end. Its other end carries a block sliding thereon 

 which has pivoted on it plates ending in gudgeons, on 



which rotary cutters or files revolve. Upon the end of 

 the rod is a plate which is arranged to bear upon and 

 press radially the plates of the gudgeons. The latter are 

 preferably inclined, so that the cutters revolve in planes 

 inclined somewhat spirally to the walls of the tube within 

 which the implement is inserted and operated. 



Phonograph. — Mr. G. L. Anders has patented a pho- 

 nographic apparatus. The invention relates to the 

 preparation of surfaces for receiving a phonographic 

 record. The diaphragm employed in this improved 

 apparatus is perfectly flat, and is made of lighter materials 

 and more sonorous than the iron plate usually used ; 

 the recording instrument has a cutting or shaving edge, 

 and the recording material is hard wax. This material 

 has a continuous projection, and in combination with the 

 cutting of the diaphragm forms the phonographic record. 

 To guide the material against the style or cutting edge 

 a threaded or toothed guide is employed, which is 

 fastened to the frame carrying the diaphragm. 



Distributing Motive Power. — Herr V. Popp has pa- 

 tented an improved method for distributing motive power 

 by compressed air, and for utilising this motive power 

 for generating electricity. It relates to the arrangement 

 of the apparatus employed, and its object is to ensure 

 great efficiency and regularity of distribution. It con- 

 sists essentially in the combination of a syphon retain 

 ing the water which may accompany the air into the con 

 duits with an automatic regulator for controlling the 

 pressing of air in the conduits in accordance with the 

 resistance in the circuit ; it also combines an apparatus 

 for heating the compressed air before it passes into the 

 motor, so as to increase the efficiency of the motive fluid. 



Motors. — Messrs. H. Rogers and E. J. Curtin have 

 patented an improved construction of high-speed, single- 

 acting, high-pressure, or compound, or triple expansion 

 engine. For compound the high and low-pressure 

 cylinders are so arranged that there are two diametrically 

 opposite low-pressure cylinders, the pistons of which 

 are connected rigidly to a central loop in which works a 

 crank on the engine-shaft, while the high-pressure 

 cylinders have their pistons connected by rods to the 

 same or different cranks on the engine-shaft, the supply 

 of steam to the high-pressure cylinders being regulated 

 by a disc valve, while the passage of the steam to the low- 

 pressure cylinders is effected through parts governed by 

 the pistons of the high-pressure cylinders. 



Forging Metals. — Mr. M. Gledhill has patented a 

 novel method and machine, whereby metals can be forged 

 either hot or cold. For this purpose rollers are used by 

 and between which the metal ingot is rotated and moved 

 endwise while subjected to the required pressure. The 

 machine has a strong bed, upon which are bearings 

 for the mandrel or bar being worked ; these bear- 

 ings are adjustable in all directions. Three rollers 

 are employed, which are supported in bearings in 

 suitable standards secured upon the bed. These 

 rollers are arranged at equal distances apart, in 

 such a manner that the tube being operated upon 

 extends centrally between them. The rollers, or one of 

 them, must have the bearings adjustable radially in the 

 standard, so that they can be made to approach or recede 

 from the centre of the space between them, and thereby 

 caused to exert greater or less pressure upon the metal. 



