Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

FREE DRINKING FOUNTAINS.

IN our leading columns we have drawn attention to the beneficent work of the Free Drinking Fountains Association. We here propose to show what mechanical arrangements the Association has adopted for the efficient and economical carrying out of its plans. The simplicity of these arrangements (which are shown in the sectional view Fig. 1 of the annexed engravings) are obvious, and call for little remark, if we except the application of a filtering medium in an air-tight cylinder in connexion with the main supply pipes of the water companies, by means of which a large amount of pressure will be obtained to force the water through the filtering medium. The construction of this cylinder with a convex bottom permits most of the organic impurities to fall by their own specific gravity, thus reserving for the filtering medium only the action of stopping the more minute organic impurities, with those held in solution. The flushing pipe is always a ready means of cleansing the cylinder cistern. The ballcock cistern shown is rendered necessary by the requirements of the Water Companies, and will in some measure regulate the pressure. The filtering medium has been prepared upon principles approved by the Association. It will be inclosed in, or will itself form, a second cylinder containing animal charcoal, through which the water must pass, previously passing in the one case first through a porous and charcoal stone imported from abroad, and suggested by Mr. Jackson, the Secretary of the Association, and in the other case, first through a filtering substance manufactured expressly for Messrs. Wills, of 12 Euston Road. These filters for the present will be applied inside the air-tight cylinders, and the result it is hoped will support the strong opinions expressed of their efficiency. The cylinder-cistern may be applied to either Standard or Mural Fountains, or in case their structure will not admit of insertion, the same arrangements can be made underground.

The Association having engaged to erect a drinking fountain in the Crystal Palace grounds, the company selected the design. This fountain, shown at Fig. 2 (by Messrs. Wills, Bros.), which we have had carefully engraved, can be constructed of bronze or bronzed iron, and the vase may either be of the same materials or of marble. This design, although occupying but the smallest space with the greatest strength, will allow of nine persons drinking at one time. The water supply for drinking fountains will, it

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][graphic][merged small][merged small][subsumed]

REFERENCES TO FIGURE 1.-4, Ball cock cistern, inflexibly required by the London Water Companies; B, The supply pipe; C, The pipe conducting filtered water to the ball cock cistern; D, The waste pipe conveying the water to a dogtough, thence into a sewer; E, Pipe for flushing and cleansing cistern; F, Cistern containing the filtering medium; G, Outline of design.

[graphic][ocr errors][merged small]
[merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

is hoped, be provided by the liberality of the water companies, as three have already consented to do; but until a memorial, which the Association has now prepared to be sent to the general companies be answered, no exact statement as to terms can be made.

The following list of sites may be acceptable as showing the number of fountains which the Association has erected, or is now under engagements to erect, having in four months from the inauguration received through the donations of private persons and contributions from the local authorities, the funds and the control over sites necessary for this encouraging commencement of the great work proposed, viz., to erect not less than four hundred fountains in the metropolis :1. Fountain at Snow-hill, Mr. Gurney.

2. Emerson-street, Bankside,

3. Upper Ground-street,

4. Triangle, Union-street, Borough,

5. Rowland Hill's Chapel,

[ocr errors]

Five in connection with St. Saviour's, Southwark.

[blocks in formation]

58. At the Royal Exchange, Metropolitan Drinking every Calibre "-Mr. Thomas has added a full reFountain Association.

[blocks in formation]

62. Near Marble Arch, with Baron de Bliss.

63. Rosemary-lane, with Miss Barber.

64. Near railway station, Putney.

65. Near Arsenal gates, Woolwich.

66. Landing-pier, Lambeth, Rev. J. Lingham.

67. New-cut, Lambeth, with Sir M. Peto.

68. Crystal Palace, Sydenham,

69. East India Dock Gates, Poplar (opened last Thursday). 70. Moor-street, St. Giles (with working men).

Several of these will now be opened each week to the public.

The objects which a street drinking fountain should, in the opinion of the Association, attain, and the conditions of their attainment, are as follows:-They are

1. To yield a small stream of continually flowing pure and cool water, most easily accessible to the greatest number of people.

2. The Metropolitan Fountains Association has decided, in accordance with the opinion of eminent medical officers, to increase the purity of the water by a process of re-filtration, and this must be done in the fountain itself; therefore, each fountain must be so constructed as to contain a

filter, which shall be easily accessible at all

times.

3. In accordance with the inflexible requirements of water companies, each fountain must be also provided with a ball and cock cistern, as this operates to destroy the force of the water, consequently it must be placed above the point of the water in the cup.

4. The pipes, filter, &c., must be insulated, so as to preserve the water from the extremes of heat in summer and cold in winter.

5. The fountain must occupy the least possible space. The necessity of this consideration is obvious, seeing that most of these fountains are

intended to occupy space in the greatest thorough fares of the metropolis.

6. The upper structure of the fountain should as little as possible intercept the street view. A number of designs have been submitted to the Association, and from them several have been selected. The best of them were engraved in the Builder for August 6, to which we would refer

our readers.

By the kindness of Mr. Smithies, the esteemed editor of the British Workman, we are ourselves

print of the paper contributed by him in
December last to the Royal Society, on a New
Theory of the Initial Action and Force of Fired
Gunpowder, a lengthy abstract of which was pub-
lished in the MECHANICS' MAGAZINE for June
3rd, page 360.

The subject discussed in this volume is a
modern one, and has not hitherto gained much
attention from authors competent to treat of it
accurately. The great merit of Mr. Thomas's
treatise is due to the fact that he has not confined
himself to mere theoretical inquiries, but has taken
considerable pains, first to ascertain facts experi-
mentally, and then to elucidate them by reference to
mathematical considerations. The order in which
he proceeds is as follows:-1, general remarks on
rifled cannon and projectiles; 2, the turn of the
rifling; 3, the influence which the size of the
projectile has upon the turn; 4, rifled projectiles;
5, the grooves and increasing spiral; 6, the com-
parative advantages attending the employment
of rifled and smooth-bored guns; 7, the range of
elongated projectiles; 8, experiments in gunnery;
9, the nature and action of fired gunpowder.
As an original and valuable treatise on a very im-
portant subject, we warmly recommend the
volume, although we cannot undertake to assent
to all the principles laid down in it.

The following extract from the preface will serve to illustrate both the style and the capabilities of the author:

"My attention has recently been directed to a statement made by Sir W. Armstrong at the United Service Institution, and reported this year, to the effect that elongated projectiles have a greater range when they are fired in the air, than they would have if they were fired in a vacuum, or non-resisting medium. This statement bears at first sight so much resemblance to certain opinions which I have hazarded myself,

in the MECHANICS' MAGAZINE for June 3rd of

tile of three diameters in length) I should hardly think that he had observed it in the case of elongated projectiles of smaller diameter, unless they were fired with a lower velocity than usual. In the chapter On the Range of Elongated Projectiles,' the reader will observe that I have not gone quite so far as to assert that long projectiles actually have their range prolonged when fired in the air; I have merely hazarded the conjecture that, under certain circumstances, such might pos sibly be the case. It cannot be positively asserted as a fact, until we know precisely what initial velocities these projectiles really acquire. I suppose that it might be true, from the circumstance of finding that the ranges of long projectiles of a certain size and form, varied in a greater degree (with the elevation) than they would do in a vacuum. The full explanation of the manner in which the resistance of the air tends to lengthen the flight of a long projectile, may be seen as follows:-When a round projectile is passing through the air, the whole resistance to its flight is in the direction of the tangent to the curve; but when a long projectile is used, a different result is obtained. For, in consequence of the well-known laws of hydrodynamics, that when a solid body strikes obliquely on a fluid mass, the resolid, the resistance on the surface of an elonsistance will be perpendicular to the surface of the gated shot will no longer act in the direction of the tangent to the curve of flight; but the resultant of the pressures on the fore end and the under side will act in a direction above the tangent to the curve, so that although the velocity of the projectile is diminished, it will be made to describe a path rather less curved to the horizon than it would otherwise have done. Hence in certain circumstances, as when the elevation of the gun is not very great, the range may be prolonged. siders that to be a properly formed shot of It will be noticed that Sir W. Armstrong conwhich the axis remains parallel to itself during its flight; but I am convinced it will be found that a preferable form of shot will be one that has the centre of gravity thrown forward, so that the shot will remain approximately a tangent to its trajectory throughout its flight. In this case the former, and at the same time the obliquity to the loss of velocity will be much less than in the trajectory will be sufficient to call into play the sustaining power of the air. A projectile which maintains its axis parallel to itself might have a certain advantage when the gun has little or no elevation, because the obliquity to the curve of

enabled to present in Fig. 3, a new and splendid engraving of the fountain recently erected by the New River Company, prior to its appearance in ported) are as follows:- In a vacuum the trajec flight would not then be so prejudicial to the ve

that publication; and by the favour of the same gentleman, we are also enabled to illustrate the Liverpool fountain, Fig. 4, in conjunction with which a cattle trough and dog trough have likewise been erected as shown. These admirable wood-cuts speak for themselves.

that I take the opportunity afforded by a preface
to make those observations with reference to it,
which I was precluded doing in the proper place,
from the circumstance of the sheets being already
in the press. Sir, W. Armstrong's remarks (as re-
tory would be the same whether the projectile
were elongated or spherical, so long as the angle
of elevation and the initial velocity were con-
stant; but the presence of a resisting atmosphere

makes this remarkable difference, that while it
greatly shortens the range of the round shot, it

For a statement of the rapid progress which the actually prolongs that of the elongated projectile, provided the angle of elevation do not exceed a drinking fountain movement is making in the certain limit, which in my experiments I have provinces, we must refer to the various detailed found to be 6. This appears at first very parastatistics that from time to time have been pub-doxical, but it may be easily explained. The elon

lished.

Literature.

Rifled Ordnance. Fourth edition, revised and en-
larged. By LYNALL THOMAS, F.R.S.L. London:
Published by J. Weale, 56 Holborn. 1859.
THIS volume, in its former editions, in which it
was published anonymously, was noticed with
some favour in our columns. Its authorship is
now acknowledged by Mr. Lynall Thomas, who
has of late years had several improved forms of
ordnance and projectiles under trial at Shoebury-
ness with very good results, and who has also
carried out numerous experiments on gunnery
privately and at his own expense. To the work
in its present form-the sub-title of which is
"A Practical Treatise on the Application of the
Principle of the Rifle to Guns and Mortars of

locity of the projectile, and the whole of the

pressure upon its under surface would tend to sustain its flight; but the time of flight, in this case (unless the gun were placed on an eminence), would be too small to admit of any great advan

tage being thus obtained. When, however, the angle of elevation is high, the increasing obliquity to the curve of flight tends to diminish the velocity more than to retard the descent of such a projectile; and its curve of flight and range are, in consequence, diminished. Hence the effect which Sir W. Armstrong remarked in his experiments; that the prolongation of flight alluded to was only observable when the angle of elevation was below 6°. Sir W. Armstrong's concluding sentence, that 'its (the projectiles) descent is retarded, so that it has time to reach to a greater distance,' could hardly, I should think, have been carefully considered before it was uttered; for motion of projectiles will see that by diminishing every person familiar with the theory of the the velocity of a projectile after it has passed the

gated shot, if properly formed, and having a
sufficient rotation, retains the same inclination to
the horizontal plane throughout its flight, and
consequently acquires a continually-increasing ob-
liquity to the curve of its flight. Now the effect
of this obliquity is, that the projectile is in a
measure sustained upon the air, just as a kite is
supported by the current of air meeting the in-
clined surface, and the result is, that its descent is
retarded, so that it has time to reach to a greater
distance.' The above remark that the air ac-
tually prolongs the flight of elongated projectiles,
requires to be considerably qualified. This effect
may perhaps be produced under certain circum-
whilst its range is, on the contrary, diminished.
stances, as, for instance, when the weight or the Further experiments will be required for ascer
length of the projectile is great in a certain pro-taining whether the forward position of the
centre of gravity conduces as much to precision as
portion to its diametral surface, when the velocity to great range. Of the latter there can be no
is limited, and other circumstances, which I shall
allude to directly. Although Sir W. Armstrong doubt; and I believe it will be found that, at the
may have remarked this peculiar effect in his 32 higher elevations, projectiles constructed in this
lb. or 18 lb. elongated projectiles (in the same This is independent of the unequal action of the air on
manner as I noticed it myself with a 32 lb. projec-opposite sides of the shot, caused by its rotary motion!

apex of its curve, its time of flight is lengthened,

manner will achieve both greater range and greater accuracy than any other.*”

The author of this volume has been fortunate enough to be present, with the consent of Sir W. Armstrong, at several trials of the Armstrong gun at Shoeburyness. Like ourselves he is not disposed to view that weapon with unqualified approbation, or to consider it by any means a final success in the art of gun manufacture. That it has excellent qualities' neither he nor we deny; but that it is better suited for the wear and tear of actual warfare than all others we are not by any means prepared to admit. As the subject is of the utmost importance we extract the following remarks from Mr. Thomas's pages on this weapon:

THE ARMSTRONG GUN.

has

a range of a couple of thousand yards or so, cannot surely be of so much importance as to have a gun of simple construction and easily worked."

obstacle to their general employment. Their general efficiency in action also has yet to be tested. An additional obstacle presents itself in the fact that these guns would be very diffiWe should be doing very imperfect justice to cult to procure in a sufficient quantity on an emergency. The constant improveurents which the author if we failed to state that his work is are likely to be made in breech-loading pieces much more than a medium for recommending a should also render us cautious about adopting any particular form of gun and projectile of his own one method in particular until its superiority invention. He does recommend improvements of been thoroughly established in actual his own, it is true; but these are by no means the service. Breech-loading guns, unless of the simplest construction, must always be objection- staple material of the volume. It may with fairable in action. It may be an easy matter enoughness be described as an essay towards a discussion for well-trained men, under the immediate super- of the nature of rifled cannon generally, and the intendence of a number of scientific officers at principles involved in their construction, together Shoeburyness, to fire so many rounds a minute; with an endeavour to urge the Government to but would this be so in action? A system of breech-loading, which a man of common capacity undertake a full and scientific inquiry into this cannot learn and retain after ten minutes' teach- much neglected subject. In working out these ing, and one which causes the employment of great objects the author communicates much "The great merit of the Armstrong gun detached pieces of metal; any, in fact, which re- original and valuable information, but he never pears to consist in an admirable combination of quires more than two simple movements, one to loses sight of the fact that no work can at present certain approved principles rather than in the open and one to close the chamber, is open to obalaptation (except, perhaps, with regard to thejection. If it is considered necessary to employ be more than an essay, or an attempt to approach manufacture of the gun) of any positively new in- breech-loading pieces, they ought to be made to the truth of the matter. Viewed in this light, vention. So happy a combination, however, could act with a movement which a man can perform his work is a very praiseworthy and instructive one, and no student of gunnery or gun-construconly result from numerous experiments conducted mechanically, as a soldier loads his musket or a by a person possessing great mechanical skill, and sportsman his gun, without having to think over tion, whatever his knowledge or experience may a considerable knowledge of the science of it. Great care must be taken, with guns upon be, should think of leaving it unstudied. gunnery. The chief noticeable points in which this principle, that no escape of gas is allowed; this gun differs from those in ordinary use, are otherwise, the men between decks in a ship, or in the metal of which it is constructed, and the a casemated battery, would be stifled in working breech-loading principle upon which it acts. them; not to speak of the loss of power occa With regard to the first of these points the sioned by it. Regarding the Armstrong gun as a success of the Armstrong gun has placed beyond scientific engine or machine for the projection of a doubt the fact that wrought-iron and steel are an elongated shot, it is a chef-d'ouvre; the accuabeirably adapted for the construction of rifled feld-pieces and guns of a medium size. This, in itself, is a portant fact. But as gun-metal is alwell adapted for field-pieces, the question whether it would be advisable to construct the smaller kind of guns of the above metals will depend very much upon the time and expense which must necessarily be employed in their con

struction, but should the construction of guns apable of throwing elongated shells, of a weight nal to that of the heaviest shot now in use, and pwards, be attended, as it probably will, with the same successful results, the employment of these metals-at least for large rifled cannon-will be Superative. The breech-loading prineiple has, I think, but few points to be remarked in its favour, enpared with what may be urged against it. In this case, however, the combination by which the ethiciency of the projectile is obtained is depenlent entirely upon it. The great accuracy and range obtained with the Armstrong gun are startling from their novelty only; for as yet the rilled cannon is but in its infancy; and although the greatest possible praise is due to Sir W. Armstrong for the great ingenuity, as well as for the superior mechanical and scientific knowledge which he has displayed in the construction both of his gun and his projectiles, I am nevertheless fully persuaded that equally good results will be tained with a combination of a much more simple and inexpensive character. The expenditure of time and labour which would be neces

sary to keep a large number of breech-loading gan continually in a fit state for service, both when stored and in use, must prove a great

The results obtained with the shells, noticed at page 9, the centre of gravity being, in their case, in a forward osition), were comparatively greater when the elevation as much as 102, than those obtained with Armstrong's. And they would have been still greater if I could have had at my disposal (which was far from being the case,) the prior mechanical means possessed by Sir W. Armstrong or Mr. Whitworth, for properly carrying the principle into practice. These are the first, and I believe the only proJcles of a proper length which have yet been successfully $d from a rifled cannon which does not load at the bh; and are, therefore, probably, with the exception of JW. Armstrong's, the only projectiles with which the Sved. From the high velocity maintained by these cret I have been remarking upon could have been obes about 1,000 feet a second), it appears probable that to bizh a value has hitherto been assigned to the resistof the air, the terminal velocity of these projectiles (cording to the ordinary computation) not much exCoding 700 feet a second."

pro

are

racy obtained with it is remarkable. This is
partly due to the delicacy of the sights (which
so arranged as to allow for the lateral
deflection), and to the absence of all recoil.
If the maximum results attainable with
rifled cannon depended entirely upon the
combination employed in this case, we might
safely assume that no other nation could produce
a weapon to surpass it; it would, however, be
presumptuous to assert this-in fact, both at home
and abroad, results nearly approaching, if not
equal to it, have been already obtained by much
simpler means; and if a hostile nation could pro-
duce half-a-dozen guns to our one, it would be a
matter for serious consideration whether it would
be to our advantage to employ guns constructed
on this principle or not. As it is, other nations
are already fully equipped with rifled cannon,
whilst we possess some dozen experimental guns
only. Even allowing that the rifled cannon of
foreign nations are not equal to the two or three
specimens of the Armstrong gun which we possess,
we are by no means certain that they are not
better adapted to the purposes of war. So much
has yet to be learned respecting rifled cannon that
no one can assert, at present, that the Armstrong
gun-untried as it is-is really the best suited in
every respect for actual warfare. Moreover, if
we confine ourselves to guns constructed upon this
principle, we can only have two hundred of them
at the end of a year. But supposing that in six
months' time we are engaged in a great European
war; and supposing, further, that the Armstrong
gun be found in actual service to fail in achieving
all that has been anticipated from it, what are we
then to do for rifled cannon? Surely some such
method as that which I have suggested might be
adopted, in order by utilizing the principle of the
rifle to place us at once on an equal footing with
other nations, without prejudice to our finally
adopting that description of gun which is found
by experience to be the most suitable for practical
purposes, whether it be the Armstrong or any
other. Perfect accuracy is, no doubt, highly de-
sirable; but there are so many circumstances
which must arise, in actual warfare, to preclude
the possibility (except under very peculiar circum-
stances) of its attainment, that it is extremely
questionable whether it is worth while sacrificing
other important objects in attempting to acquire
it. A difference of a few feet in the deflection, in

Wool and Woollen Manufactures of Great Britain !
a Historical Sketch of Rise, Progress, and Present
Position. SAMUEL BROTHERS. 1859. London:
Piper, Stephenson, and Spence, 23 Paternoster-

row.

This book is printed on such very superior paper, and in all but authorship has been got up with such disregard of expense, that it is a pity "Samuel Brothers," of 29 Ludgate-hill, and of "Sydenham Trousers" notoriety, did not take the pains to have it edited with some little show of care. A little money spent in that manner would have helped to make it more valuable in its way than it can possibly prove in its present form. This Historical Sketch is to be followed by other volumes on The Natural History of Wool," and "The Mechanical History of Woollen Manufacture." We hope these will be edited by some one who knows when he has written intelligible English and when he has not-which is more

on

[ocr errors]

than the editor of the volume before us knows. It consists, nevertheless, of an historical narrative, the reading of which would add much to the knowledge of many.

MAJOR RHODES' TENTS.

THE board of medical officers appointed by the
Duke of Cambridge to report on the hospital tent
which has been invented by Major Rhodes-one
of which has been for some time in use in the
grounds attached to the garrison hospital at
Chatham-having made a very favourable report
of the invention, the Commander-in-Chief gave
directions for another description of Major
Rhodes' tent, called the "Field hospital tent," to
be pitched there. Major Rhodes accordingly
arrived at Chatham on Saturday afternoon last,
for the purpose of superintending the erection of
this field tent, which, like the others invented by
"The ground
him, is of simple construction.
having been accordingly selected, the tent was
pitched," says the Times' correspondent," by four
men in a comparatively short space of time, not-
withstanding that three of the men who assisted
knew nothing whatever of tents, and had pro-
bably never seen a military tent pitched in their
lives. In this, as in his other tents, Major Rhodes
entirely discards the use of the clumsy and incon
venient tent-pole, the coverings being supported
on pliable ribs of ashwood, the bottoms of which
are fixed into the ground, the tops meeting in a
wooden head, which also answers the purpose of a
ventilator. The tent erected on Saturday is 20
feet in diameter, and affords ample accommoda-
tion for 20 patients, giving each patient a space
of 3 feet by 7 feet, leaving a clear central space of

6 feet diameter for the use of the medical officers and hospital attendants-an advantage which is, of course, out of the question in the present tents, where the pole monopolises the most important part of the interior. But perhaps the most valuable improvement in this tent is the excellent system of ventilation adopted."

Our Weekly Gossip.

WITH respect to the projected coinage of bronze, the thought has arisen in our mind as to whether Britannia as a design for the reverse of them ought not to be sacrificed. For nearly 200 years has that very tall lady been doing duty as a device for the reverse of the copper coinage of these realms, and the question comes whether it is not now time to relieve guard, and dismiss Britannia, her shield and her trident, to the limbo of bygone things. The origin of the design was questionable enough, and it is not needful for us to perpetuate the memory of Charles II., or any of his beauties, one of whom sat for the original Britannia. Britannia, in the literal sense, would doubtless remain ruler of the sea, though her tall representative disappeared for ever from the coinage of the realm. At any rate she does not rule the wave the more safely because that person has sat so long in her helmet looking wistfully out at nothing. The omission of Britannia and the ledge of rock upon which she, with all her stage properties, is so calmly resting, would make room for a totally new device for the neater pieces of money with which we are shortly to be favoured, and would furnish a field for the trial of skill invited in another column among engravers.

The Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education, have issued the following circular:-" Teachers wishing to attend the examinations of science and art department in-1 practical and descriptive geometry, with mechanical and machine drawing, and building construction; 2, physics; 3, chemistry; 4, geology and mineralogy (applied to mining); 5, natural history,-for the purpose of obtaining augmentation grants to their salaries (under the science minute of the 2nd June, 1859), must send their names, addresses, and present occupation, to the secretary of the department, South Kensington, on or before the 31st October, 1859. The examinations will be held in the Metropolis in the last week of November. Certificates of three (grades will be granted in each subject, giving the holder an augmentation grant of 10., 157., or 20l. a year on each certificate while giving instruction to a class of operatives in that subject. These payments will be in addition to the value of any certificates of competency for giving primary instruction, should the teacher have already obtained any such from the Committee of Council on Education."

The Atlantic Telegraph Company publish the following letter from Sir Charles Yorke, Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief:-" Horse Guards, Aug. 6, Sir,-With reference to my letter of the 8th ult., in answer to your inquiry as to any messages having ever been transmitted to Newfoundand by the Atlantic Telegraph during the time it was in operation last year, I am directed by the General Commanding-in-Chief to acquaint you that replies have been received from the general officers commanding the troops in Canada and Nova Scotia to the effect that a telegram dated London, England, August 31, 1858, respecting the 39th Regiment, was received at Montreal on the 3rd September and answered on the following day, and that a telegram of the same date respecting the 62nd Regiment was received at Halifax on the day of its transmissionnamely, the 31st of August, 1858. I have the honour to be, Sir, your Obedient servant, C. YORKE. A. T. Hamilton, Esq., Director of the Atlantic Telegraph Company.

The following may serve a useful purpose, although we cannot ourselves share all the sentiments of the writer: Gentlemen,- Having had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Clifford's boat-lowering apparatus long before it had obtained popularity, I have watched it with interest ever since, and can bear testimony to some of the uphill work of the inventor. Mr. C. has briefly and mildly answered the shabby allusion of "Nauticus" to "a person of an opposite calling." The narrow-minded feeling from which it emanates, is unfortunately so prevalent that a protest should be occasionally made against it. A father hears of an opening which he thinks will suit his son, and, with the very best intentions on his part, places his son in a situation for which he is totally unfit. It soon appears that the son has talents which cannot possibly be made use of in his calling; he is, in fact, "of an

opposite calling to what he ought to be," a “square
man in a round hole," and whenever he attempts to
obtain employment in a sphere in which his talents
may be used, the answer is, "Oh, you are of an op-
posite calling." Now, "Nauticus" maintains by the
in a square hole. The majority of our great men aptly
above sentence that this square man ought not to be
illustrate the subject, and what "Nauticus" would
call the rule is clearly the exception-the fact being
that our most successful inventors have been "per-
sons of an opposite calling." A man is brought up as
a herb-seller who is a profound mathematician. A boy
is sent to mind a booksellers' shop, who is destined to
become a great chemist; a miner becomes an eminent
engineer; a mathematical instrument maker becomes
the greatest improver of the steam-engine; and even
"Nauticus" has ventured into subjects that his
father never dreamed of. I do hope, therefore, that
I shall never see such a remark again in the ME-
CHANICS' MAGAZINE, although every advertisement
states the necessity for a certificate of "previous oc-
cupation in the same line," no one being deemed
capable of sucking eggs without a certificate from his
grandmother! I am, gentlemen, your obedient
servant, T. Mor. 1 Clifford's Inn, Aug. 13, 1859.

for the moment to the exclusion of all other dis-
"Another discovery which occupies the Emperor
coveries of the same nature," says the Paris corres-
pondent of the Morning Star," is a new machine for
most terrible engine of destruction yet invented. This
the arming of ships of war, which is said to be the
machine consists in a combination of a whole broad-
side, being constructed so as to be fired at once, and
ship, however powerful, could resist the shock, which
to be directed to any given point, so that no enemy's
would sink a whole fleet if within range. The con-
trivance is said to be an improvement on the infernal
machine of Fieschi, which you must remember was
has its uses, and if the Fieschi artillery be but charged
a radius of small guns. So that you see even treason
with the Orsini shell, why then destruction of human
life will be achieved upon the grandest scale! The
machine, which as yet bears no name, is to be acted upon
by electricity, as
recoil (?). As the reporter of the superb invention
no gunner could withstand the
naively exclaims,' 'Here is an invention which will
leave far behind it the famous Armstrong gun, just
tested with so much success in England.'

The

signals, submitted for the approval of the Lords of
Mr. Ward's newly invented arrangement of flag
the Admiralty, was tested at Woolwich this week, on
board the Commodore's flagship Fisgard.
following account of the invention was written by the
Times correspondent: The flags are half-a-yard wide
ing to the code of instructions for corresponding from
and three yards long, in pendant fashion, and, accord-
ship to ship at sea, the blue flag was run up to the
maintop, as a preparatory pendant, announcing the
each word so as to devide them into sentences. The
desire to communicate, and is also hoisted between
coloured flag appeared at the mizen and foretop
tinguished and understood at the given distance. In
masts, forming the message, which was clearly dis-
a dead calm, when the flags cannot float, a line is run
across from the mainmast head to the mizen mast
head, or from one yardarm to another, so that the
flags may hang down and be visible, as in a breeze.
Commodore the Hon. J. R. Drummond, for whose in-
spection the trials of the new flags and also the ocean
marine telegraph, by the same inventor, have been
performed at Woolwich, has ordered the construction
of full sized instruments of the last-named invention,

which will shortly be tested at Woolwich, preparatory
to a trial at sea and on the coast.

used by the French was offered to the British Govern-
It is stated that the design of the rifled cannon
ment in 1855. A similar invention by Count Cavalli,
of the Piedmontese service, was also offered to our
Government, but his plans were referred backwards
and forwards until they were lost sight of.

NOTICES.

The MECHANICS' MAGAZINE will be sent free by post to all subscribers of £1 1s. 8d., annually, payable in adrance. Post Office Orders to be made payable to R. A. Brooman, at the Post Office, Fleet Street, London, E.C.

TO ADVERTISERS.

All Advertisements occupying less than half-a-columu are charged at the rate of 5d. per line for any number) insertions less than 13; for 13 insertions, 4d. per line; an or 52 insertions, 3d. per line.

Each line consists of 10 words, the first line counting as
two. Wood-cuts are charged at the same rate as type for
the space occupied.

To ensure insertion, Advertisements must reach the Office
by 5 o'clock on Thursday evening each week. None can
Special Arrangements for larger or Serial Advertisements
be reeceived after that time for the ensuing number.

[AUGUST 19, 1859.

Patents for Inventions.

ABRIDGED SPECIFICATIONS OF PATENTS.

classified, according to the subjects to which the respectise
inventions refer, in the following table. By the system of
order of the specifications is preserved, and combined with
classification adopted, the numerical and chronological
all the advantages of a division into classes. It should a
understood that these abridgements are prepared exclu-
sively for this Magazine from official copies supplied by t
Government, and are therefore the property of the prorie
tors of this Magazine. Other papers are hereby warned not
to produce them without acknowledgement:-
STEAM ENGINES, &c., 2996, 7, 9.

THE abridged Specifications of Patents given below are

BOILERS AND THEIR FURNACES, &c. Nons.
ROADS AND VEHICLES, including railway plant and cr
riages, saddlery and harness, &c., 2981, 2986, 2995, 3004,
6, 12, 20, 22, 36.

SHIPS AND BOATS, including their fittings, 2982, 23.
CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL, including agricultural and hor-
ticultural implements and machines, 2977, 2980, 3000,
16, 39.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES, including apparatus for preparing
food for men and animals, 21.

FIBROUS FABRICS, including machinery for treating fibres,
pulp, paper, &c., 2979, 2991, 10, 13, 25, 27, 29, 33, 37, 38,
40, 44, 46, 47, 49, 52, 53, 54, 59.
BUILDINGS AND BUILDING MATERIALS, including sewers,
LIGHTING, HEATING, AND VENTILATING, 2987, 5, 24, 35, 55.
drain-pipes, brick and tile machines, &c., 19, 45.
FURNITURE AND APPAREL, including household utensils,
METALS, including apparatus for their manufacture, 3007,
time-keepers, jewellery, musical instruments, &c., 1999,
2, 4, 43, 57.

40.

CHEMISTRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY, 2983, 58.
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS, 2934, 2997, 31, 51, 56.
WARFARE, 2990.

LETTER PRESS PRINTING &c. None.
MISCELLANEOUS, 2978, 2985, 2988, 2989, 2992, 2003, 2.
2995, 3000, 3002, 3003, 3005, 3006, 1, 3, 8, 11, 14, 15, 17
18, 28, 30, 32, 34, 42, 48, 50.

manufacture of india-rubber goods." Dated Dec. 29, Improvements in the

2978. H. HUTCHINSON. 66

1858.

material with india-rubber, when such sheets are to Here in coating sheets of cloth, leather, or other such sheets with india-rubber at certain places, in be cut up into shaped pieces, the patentee only coats pieces of the size and form required, and this he does between rollers, on one of which a raised pattern is sheet of india-rubber prepared in the usual manner, by passing the sheets of cloth, &c., together with a cloth, &c., and the india-rubber together, causes the fixed, and this raised pattern, by pressing the sheet of india-rubber to combine with the sheet of cloth, &c., parts which receive no pressure no adhesion is pro at the parts touched by the pattern, whilst at the duced between the cloth and the india-rubber. Patent completed.

for stretching fabrics." Dated Dec. 29, 1858.
2979. S. MORAND. "Improvements in apparatus

to move in suitable grooves, simply touching each
This consists in forming a series of blocks which are
other at their ends, without being linked or attachet
together, but in place of making the blocks with square
or flat ends, so that when in a straight line the
whole of the surfaces of the two ends of two neigh

bouring blocks shall be in contact, the inventor so

forms the ends of each block that when a series of them are in a straight line the neighbouring ones shall only touch each other at a point. Each end of each block is made to incline from the centre outwards passing in curved and inclined lines. Each block is to the four angles, by which when a number are set in a straight line the neighbouring ones will admit of made with a groove through which pins pass to al mit of the endless rows of blocks being moved by toothed or chain wheels. Patent abandoned.

for reaping and mowing." (A communication.) Dated 2980. A. V. NEWTON. Improvements in machinery

Dec. 29, 1858.

This consists, 1, in connecting the finger bar to the main frame by an intermediate frame, the said intermediate frame being hinged to the main frame (front and rear) in a line, or nearly so, with the crank-shaft. 2, in a peculiar mode of raising and lowering the main frame so as to adapt the machine to mowing and reaping. 3, in the mounting of the cutter-bar in rear of the front edge of, and over the finger bar, so as to allow the cutting edge of the cutters to cross the edge of the finger-bar, and clip the grass, &c., as near as possible to the finger-bar. 4, in a method of construction of the finger-bars and guard-fingers, and the bar, and of operating the cutters therein. Pateat manner of securing the guard-fingers to the finger completed.

2981. T. W. GoWING. "An improved roughing for the shoes of horses and other like animals." Dated Dec. 29, 1858.

« ElőzőTovább »