DISCOVERIES IN THE ARTS IN AMERICA. 
to be about sixteen inches in diameter, and 
the groove about two inches clear of its edge. 
When horse-shoes are to be formed, the 
indentations for two of them are contained in 
the circle, two cutters, or chisels, being placed 
in it to divide the iron ; for' ox shoes, 
four such cutters are used. There are to be 
creasing dies, corresponding with the number 
of shoes, on which are raised as many projec- 
tions as there are nails to be employed. A punch, 
or punches, operated upon by cams, and pass- 
ing through the moulder are to throw the 
shoes out of the groove. 
In order to force the iron into the moulding- 
groove, there is a roller revolving vertically, 
the lower end of which roller projects through 
a collar, and bears against the face of the 
moulder. The heated bar is to be passed 
through an opening, or notch, which guides it 
between the roller and the groove, by which 
it is to receive its form. 
We do not see in this machinery any thing 
calculated to remove the difficulties which have 
been hitherto encountered in the attempts to 
make horse-shoes by rolling. There has in 
every instance, we believe, been a considerable 
waste of metal, and fins have been left upon 
the edges, which not only increase the waste, 
but are difficult to remove ; and, after all, the 
horse-shoe is not completed by the machine, 
but has to undergo considerable forging to 
prepare it for use. We predict, therefore, 
that it will prove a total failure. 
RECENT AMERICAN PATENTS. 
(Selected from the FranJclin Journal for 
August.) 
GUM ELASTIC SHEATHING FOR 
VESSELS AND BUILDINGS, GEORGE 
D. COOPER, NEW YORK.— The caout- 
chouc or gum elastic is to be used “ to pre- 
vent vessels and buildings from leaking, and 
to preserve the crews of vessels from 
the effects of dampness caused by the 
salting of vessels.” We are told to 
take the material and to ‘ ‘ divide it and run 
it into sheets one quarter of an inch thick, 
and of such length and width as the owner 
or builder may select, or else to import the 
sheets read y cast from Para, the place where 
the gum elastic is produced.” These 
directions are more easily given than 
followed, and it would have been veiy 
satisfactory to have been told how to ‘ ‘ run 
into sheets ” of the desired length, breadth, 
and thickness, without impairing its quaility. 
To get such sheets made by the persons, 
and in the places, where the gum elastic 
is produced, would be no easy task ; we, 
however, will suppose this to be done, or the 
India rubber cloth which is prepared in this 
country, by covering canvass on one or 
both sides with that material, to be 
substituted, therefore, agreeably to the di- 
rections of the patentee? this material 
is to be applied between the inner 
part of the ribs, and the inner planking ; 
between the outer part of the ribs, and the 
outward planking; between the outward 
blanking of the copper and between the 
deck beams and the deep planking.” Par- 
ticular directions are given for laying it on, 
which, we need not repeat. In covering 
houses, the sheets are first to be laid upon 
rough planks, uniting their edges by dissol- 
ved gum elastic, and then shingling, or sla- 
ting, over thewhole, “ so that the roof, &c. 
is not only water-tight, but a ir-tight.” 
There is no claim made, but the thing 
intended to be secured by Letters Patent, is 
the interposing the gum elastic between the 
sheathing and other parts of vessels and 
between the boards and outward covering of 
roofs. It may, no doubt, be very ad- 
vantageously applied to some of the pur- 
poses designated, but in others the test of 
experience can alone determine its utility. 
Under shingles, for example, the retaining 
of the water may tend to rot them very 
rapidly ; and it is not imposible that the 
agents to which it will be subjected when 
used under water, may operate upon 
it disadvantageously ; it, however, is well 
worih the trial. 
SELF-OPERATING INK DISTRIBU- 
TER, JOHN MAXSON, SCHENEC- 
TADY. — Various machines have been 
patented for the purpose of inking the form 
in the common handpress, without the aid 
of a second person ; but, after a fair trial, 
they have generally been abandoned, as they 
are liable to get out of order, and do not 
execute the work as uniformly as by a roller- 
body. The machine before us is spoken of 
as though it had no predecessor, and the 
end to be attained, as though it had pre- 
viously been unattempted, which, as we 
have already intimated. Is incorrect. Con- 
siderable ingenuity is manifested in the 
plan before us, and the machine is sufficiently 
novel in its construction to maintain its 
claim to a patent, but we do not see in it 
any thing calculated to obviate the objection 
which experience has shown to exist against 
those which have been tried. To describe 
it without the drawing would be difficult, 
and would interest but few of our readers. 
RAILWAY PHENOMENON.— On Mon- 
day last a gentleman in this town, who had 
taken his place in the hindmost carriage of one 
of the railway trains from Bolton to Kenyon, 
witnessed the following singular occur- 
rence : — He was placed with his back to the 
engine, and had a clear view of the receding 
line of railway. The train was going down 
the inelined plane from Bag-lane to Leigh, 
at the apparent rate of from 30 to 40 miles 
per hour. A man who was standing on the 
side of the railway threw a stone about th©^ 
