soe New Patents lately enrolled. 
placing and fecuring flates on the roofs of 
buildings. : 
» 
—=— Ie 
MR. JOHN VANCOUVER’S (TACHBROOK - 
HOUSE, WARWICK) for am EARTH of 
peculiar PROPERTIES, which, by cer- 
tain new Froceffes of Manufadure, is 
capable of being rendered a Subjiitute 
‘for SOAP. 
This earth is found on the eftate belong- 
ing to Lord Warwick, at the depth of 
from four to ten feet below the furface of 
the ground. It is not diftinguifhed by any 
particular name, and is difpofed or fituated 
in the ground in different ftrata or layers. 
The firft or uppermoft layer is of a 
greenifh or greyifh colour; the fecond 
layer is of a beautiful lilac or light pur- 
ple; and the third or undermolt is gene- 
rally white, although the white is found 
intermixed with the purple. The ftratum 
on which the earth lies, is indurated red 
marl, and it is fuperinduced by a bed of 
eravel. The thicknefs of the entire ftra- 
tum of the faid earth is from four inches 
to one foct, and its general pofition is 
very even, regular, and level. When firft 
taken out of the earth, its colours are ve- - 
ry fine, particularly the lilac, which, on 
expolure to the fun’s rays, or to the influ- 
ence of froft, foon becomes white. On 
chemical examination, it appears to ¢on- 
tain clay, filiceous fand, and the oxide of 
jron; but a more ftudied examination 
wou!d probably thew the exiftence of other 
peculiarities, from which the detergent 
property of this earth might be found to 
arife. 
The proceffts for manufacturing the 
faid earth are performed as follow :—Af- 
ter digging it out of the vein, it is dried 
by means of ftoves or otherwift ; then 
pulverifed, and fifted through fine feves ; 
a fize is then prepared from white fhreds 
of leather, aud the dry fifted earth is 
beaten up with the faid fize ; after which 
it is formed into convenient parcels or 
cakes, refembimg thofe of foap, and of 
fuch fizes, figures, and dimenfions, as are 
beft adapted to the purpofes of tts in- 
tended application. The ufe of the fize 
is to keep the parts of the earth together, 
and to mcderate the effect of its abforbent 
quality, which is foextreme, as to canfeit to 
become pulverulent, like quick-lime, when 
water is add-d to the dried earth; and, 
on this account, the patentee does not 
confine himfelf to the ufe of fize made of 
leather, but applies other animal and ve- 
getable mucilages to the fame purpote, 
[May 1; 
giving the preference to fuch, as by their 
cheapnefs and adhefive quality are beft 
adapted to the purpofes of the manufac- 
ture. The moft diftin&tive property of the 
faid earth is that of. cleanfing wool in a 
manner much fuperior to foap; becaufe it 
makes it equally white and clean, with- 
cut robbing it of what manufacturers 
call its nature, as foap does; for, it is 
well-known, that when wool is wafhed 
with coarfe foap, it undergoes fome 
change, either in the polifh of its furface, 
or in the elafticity of its fibres, or in 
fome other refpeéts, which caufes it to feel 
lefs full to the hand, fo that it will not 
rife and {pring up, after the preffure, inthe 
famé manner as it did before fuch wafhing. 
Whereas, on the contrary, wool, when 
treated with the wafhing-earth, becomes 
equally white and clean, at the fame time 
that itremains in poffeffion of all its origi- 
nal fulnefs and elafticity, which are of 
great confequence and value In the manu- 
fa@ure of this important article of pro- 
duce. ‘: 
eee re 
MR. MICHAEL BILLINGSLEY’S (6f BIR- 
-KENSHAW, YORK) for an INSTRU- 
MENT fo be avorked with STEAM, Ge. 
for the Purpofe of boring CYLINDERS of 
IRON and BRASS for STEAM. ENGINES, 
Sc.whereby [uch Cylinders are bored more 
true, fmoother, and with greater Faciilt- 
ty, than by the Methods hitherto employ- 
ed for the jame Purpofe. 
This inftrument confifts of certain parts 
conneéted together in fuch a manner, that 
the cylinder intended to be bored fhall 
preferve.a vertical pofition, as to the axis 
thereof, inftead of the horizontal pofition 
heretofore adopted and ufed, by which 
means the fand and borings from the face 
of the metal are permitted to fail down, 
inftead of occupying one fide of the cy- 
linder, and wearing away the edges of the 
cutters, fo as to require them trequently 
to be changed, and to caufe an irregularity 
in the figure, and even in the diameter of 
the cylinder, thereby rendering the fame 
much leis effectual for fleam-engines, or 
any other piltor-work, in which it is effen- 
tial the fittings fhould be very accurate. 
In the new method, the finifhing part of 
the cutters are employed upon a clean 
face of metal, and, not being encumbered 
with the cuttings, the cutters go cem- 
pletely through, from firft to laf, without 
requiring to be changed, and bore the cy-_ 
linder with the utmoft precifion and truth, 
This fpecification is accompanied with 
ts drawings 
