Award of Medals, Sfc, at Kilhurn. 
751 
position therefore changes the position of the finger against the dial-face. The 
counterpoising weight is a hollow annular cylinder, closed at the top and 
open at the hase. The sides are of sufficient thickness to displace an amount 
of fluid equal in weight to what is required to halance the maximum load to 
he weighed. The interior of the cylinder forms an air-chamber; the air 
being admitted or expelled through a valve provided in the cylinder cover. 
A cylindrical tank receives the counterpoising weight. The tank contains 
a fluid in which the counterpoising cylinder is almost submerged, having been 
first attached to the end of the long arm of the lever. Speed of weighing is 
controlled by the valve in the air-chamber cover. A load is brought on to 
the weighing-plate and immediately the weighing lever rises, lifting the 
poising weight with it, which continues to rise till the load is equipoised. 
The revolving finger then indicates the weight upon a scale marked on the 
disc. This is a .simple and ingenious mechanism not likely to get out of 
order. 
Ancient and Modern Implements. 
The exhibition of ancient and modern farm implements, side 
by side, was a highly interesting feature of the Kilburn Show, 
illustrating more or less completely the extraordinary progress 
that has been made in a comparatively short period of time — a 
progress that has not been exceeded in any other department of 
productive industry. Looking at the highly instructive remains 
of a past agriculture, which, except some scheme of preserva- 
tion is organised, will soon be lost to us for ever, I could not 
but regret that we have not, as one of our national institutions, 
a patent model museum, where it should be incumbent on every 
inventor, claiming protection for his invention, to deposit a 
properly constructed model on a fixed scale. We have, I am 
aware, a valuable Patent Museum at South Kensington, and I 
rejoice to know that the original Bell's reaper, and the Hussey's 
reaper, are there preserved ; but the fact that these two machines, 
and one model of a digger, were the solitary representatives of 
the Commissioners of Patents, indicates how poor is our collec- 
tion of bygone agricultural implements. We might well take a 
lesson from the American Government, who have a most inte- 
resting Museum of Patent Models at Washington, where can be 
seen every stage of invention, from the crudest combination to 
the latest perfection. Surely it is not too late to obtain models 
of all the more interesting exhibits at Kilburn, even if the 
originals are too cumbrous for preservation. And the Society 
will have done good service to the cause of national education, 
if its collection of curiosities at Kilburn should pave the way 
for a National Museum of Models. Every author is obliged to 
deposit copies of his work in certain libraries ; why should 
not the patentee be equally required to deposit a working model 
of his invention? As it was, the Society was principally in- 
debted to the kindness of private individuals for the loan of 
