Dec. 21, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



639 



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, 

 andb, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Explosive. — Mr. C. D. Abel has patented an explosive 

 compound as a communication from H. Schoneweg. 

 This explosive is cheap, effective, and explodes without 

 flame, and is not hygroscopic. It is made by adding to 

 a mixture of an explosive nitro-compound and oxalic 

 acid a large proportion of potassium nitrate. 



Hut. — Mr. J. C. H. Peacocke has patented a portable 

 hut. It consists of a framework of wood strengthened 

 by tension rods without obstructing the passage through 

 the building, and having walls, flooring, and roof of 

 roller shutter, which will serve as a covering for the 

 parts of the building when taken apart for transport. 



Locks. — Mr. H. Steinke has patented a safety-lock. 

 The object is to dispense with the use of springs in 

 safety-locks, and substituting therefor a number of lock- 

 ing plates which are actuated by one or two keys, so as 

 to slide rectilinearly, or turn, or swivel on pivots, and 

 provided with notches for the entry of the shackle hook. 



Water-Courses. — Mr. A. Langues has patented a 

 method of excavating or deepening water-courses. It 

 consists in causing a vessel provided with blades pro- 

 jecting down beneath its bottom to travel up stream so 

 as, by narrowing the section of the water way, to effect 

 an increase of velocity of the water, and cause it to 

 impinge upon the bottom, whereby the material of the 

 latter will be dislodged and carried by the current out to 

 deep water. 



Roller-Mills. — Mr. P. Tofel has patented a roller- 

 mill. The invention relates to the driving-gear, and by 

 the use of it the differential velocity of the grinding 

 rollers can be increased at will, without necessitating 

 the employment of rollers of unequal diameter. The 

 invention consists in the employment of rope driving- 

 gear working in grooved pulleys, and effecting a differ- 

 ential velocity of the grinding rollers ; the ropes are made 

 of any suitable material, mechanism being provided to 

 take up the slack. 



Electric Railways. — Mr. W. L. Madgen, a communi- 

 cation from E. Manville, has patented a method of sup- 

 plying electric railways or tramways with electricity. 

 The secondary lead is divided into sections, each arranged 

 to supply the locomotive as it passes along it, and each 

 of these sections is connected to the primary lead, which 

 extends continuously the whole length necessary to sup- 

 ply the last of the secondary sections, this main lead 

 including appliances, whereby the currents transmitted 

 from it to the discontinuous sections are caused to be of 

 moderate tension. 



Projectiles. — Messrs. M. Von Foerster and C. Wolff 

 have patented an explosive projectile. The shell is pro- 

 vided inside with a tube rigidly connected therewith and 

 open at its forward end ; the fuse is lodged within this 

 tube in such position that its initiating cartridge is sepa- 



rated from the charge of the shell by the walls of the tube. 

 The fuse is secured by a fastening adapted to give way 

 when, upon the shell striking against its mark, the fuse 

 is impelled forward within the shell, and a channel is 

 provided into which the fuse can fly, so that the initiat- 

 ing cartridge, on exploding, will be in immediate contact 

 with the charge. 



Water Meters.— Mr. J. C. Panwels has patented a 

 water meter. It consists of a cast-iron box, divided in 

 two parts and fastened together. Inside this is a wl eel 

 with a groove ; this wheel is connected by arms to a 

 central axis, the arms being provided at one end with 

 fans. The wheel has a part cut out, and at each end is 

 a pipe leading outside the case for inlet and outlet of 

 the water. The central pivot is connected to registering 

 mechanism, and the spaces between the fans can be made 

 to hold any desired quantity. The water passes into the 

 wheel, and by its pressure operates the fans, which drive 

 the registering mechanism. 



Church Organs. -Mr. H. T. Newbigin has patented 

 means for automatically regulating the wind supply to 

 church organs blown by motive power. A rocking lever 

 is employed, having a constant angle of oscillation, in 

 which slides a bar having attached thereto the connecting 

 rod which works the air feeder. This bar is so con- 

 nected that as the air-receiver expands it moves the point 

 of connection of the bar nearer the centre of oscillation, 

 thus diminishing the travel of the air-feeder, and as the 

 receiver contracts, the point of connection is moved 

 farther from the centre of oscillation, thereby increasing 

 the travel of the feeder, and consequently the air supply 

 to the instrument. 



Ships. — Mr. J. H. Milne has patented apparatus for 

 steering, manoeuvring, and propelling ships which may 

 be used as a screw propeller or paddle, and may be 

 fitted at the stern or side of a vessel. In a screw pro- 

 peller two diametrically opposite blades are fixed to a 

 box upon a shaft. These blades are connected by a 

 spindle which is fitted to turn in the box about an axis 

 at right angles to the shaft. Internal gear is applied to 

 the shank of the blades, and by it the blades can be 

 turned, when desired for steering, so as to cause them 

 to act transversely when passing the highest or lowest 

 point of their circular course, and edgeways when pass- 

 ing the opposite point, accordingly as the ship is required 

 to deviate to starboard or to larboard. 



Gas Governors. — Messrs. H. W. and A. F. Cole have 

 patented a gas governor. In this governor the gas 

 enters at an inlet and passes down a centre tube, through 

 holes and underneath a float, the quantity of gas passing 

 through the tube being greater than can pass through a 

 regulating screw. The gas raises the float and closes a 

 valve sufficiently to admit only the quantity of gas that 

 can pass through the regulating screw. The gas pres- 

 sure at the outlet side of the regulating screw and the 

 upper side of the float is maintained equal by a free gas 

 passage, and the weight of float and valve being properly 

 adjusted, it follows that any increase of pressure must 

 first act on the underside of the float, raising same and 

 closing the valve in proportion to the increase, and as 

 the pressure decreases the float falls and opens the 

 valve in proportion, thus ensuring a regular and uniform 

 flow of gas for use. 



