the height of houses in the neighbourhood, so that it shall reach and rest upon, clasp or take hold of any window cill it shall be elevated to. At the upper or projecting end outwards, there are to be two holes with a rope reeved or run through them, exactly the same as the one described for the chamber fire-escape. One end of the pole is to be fitted and fastened into the socket of the fire-escape, by which the fire-escape machinery may be raised full as readily as a ladder, furnishing a similar means of escape from without, as that of the chamber fire-escape from within. The lower part of the pole may be divided by a joint, so as to straddle and stand firm, as shewn by the etching drawing of a front view of No. 4, of the same machine as is delineated No. 3; and these legs EE may be opened more or less by a line F, to heighten or lower the fire-escape at the top, to suit the place to which it is to be raised; or two poles may be made to slide one up by the other, until the upper end having the fire-escape can be lodged on its destined, situation; or it may be made in other ways to suit particular situations.

The external fire-escape, as shewn by No. 5, is on a different construction, formed on the principle of the idler or lazy tongs; it is made of bamboo canes, or deal, or other wood, or metal, in slips of any even lengths, according to the size and elevation intended; five double lengths, or more or less, or ten pieces of eight feet long each, or any other length, are to be bolted in pairs together in the centre of each length, but so as to work easy on those bolts. The ends of each adjoining pair are likewise to be bolted together, one pair to another, until the five pair or other number thus bolted together, lay edge-ways one over the other. There must be two or more sets or rows of these bolted pairs of bamboos, slips

of

of wood, or metal. These two or more sets are to be secured together at any required distance by bolts the length of such distance. To the four corners or upper end a canvas or netting may be fastened, or a slight platform, as shewn in the drawing at G, No. 5, which thus forms a top to be raised up to the windows of houses where people are to be rescued, or help is wanted to be sent up to the chambers. The lower or bottom ends of the bamboos, or slips of wood, or metal, are to be fitted to and rest upon the bottom of a case, fixed on four wheels like a truck, to move readily to any place where wanted, until the platform or top is required to be raised to any window; the whole of these double rows or sets of bamboos, or slips of wood, or metal bolted together to form one piece of machinery, will lay down close in the case, not exceeding two feet in height. But when a force is applied to raise the machinery, it will extend to a height not exceeding thirty feet, raising the platform or canvas, or netting top, either to receive any person from out of a window, or convey any person up to give ready aid of any kind. By raising the lower middle joint or bolt that secures the sets together, between three and four fee: from the bottom of the case, the top will be elevated more than thirty feet, a greater or lesser number of lengths giving a greater or less height. The power to be applied for raising the lower joint or bolts may be various; it may be by the common rack and pinionwheel of the timber jack, or by a lever, or by a common pulley, or by a rope round a roller worked by a tooth and pinion wheel with a winch handle, as shewn in the drawing No. 5. In either way the raising and lowering of the platform, or canvas or netting top, is performed with the greatest celerity, by which people or goods may be saved; and may be applied to various other good purposes. In witness whereof, &c.

Specification

Specification of the Patent granted to WILLIAM COBB, late of the Parish of Saint Martin in the Fields, but now of Swithin's Lane, Cannon Street, London, Cordwainer ; for a Method of making an Air Jacket and proper Shoes for Swimming, to prevent the fatal Consequences attending Sailors and others in Shipwreck, never heretofore practised. Dated March 31, 1764 *.-Term expired.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c. NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the said William Cobb do declare, that my said invention does consist and is to be performed in manner hereafter expressed; that is to say: The jackets are made of calves, neat, or sheeps leather, or any thing pliable that will hold air, cut in the form of a short jacket without sleeves, with pieces sewed on the outsides and back bigger than the insides or back to hang loose and hollow, to contain a sufficient quantity of air blowed through a bag or receptacle, with a pipe fixed to it to convey the air into the receptacle, which receptacle is fastened on to one of the loose sides to convey the air into the loose sides and back, by means of a communication from one part of the jacket to the other. The jacket to be buttoned before, button-holes round the skirts to be buttoned or fastened to the waistband of the breeches. The upper strap of the receptacle to be buttoned to the upper button of the jacket, and the lowest strap to the nearest lower button it comes to. Then

* The air-jacket described in this specification is so similar to Mr. Daniel's life-preserver, which the Society of Arts, &c. have lately rewarded with their gold medal, that we have been requested to publish it along with the account of that gentleman's apparatus, which will be found in the present number.

hold

hold the pipe with your teeth and blow into the receptacle till the jacket is filled with air, stop the pipe with the cork, then use it in swimming.

The shoes are made with pieces of wood cut in the form of a sole of a shoe, and hinges screwed on to the wood with joints covered with leather, fastened on to common shoes, to open and shut in swimming like a swan's foot.

In witness whereof, &c.

Specification of the Patent granted to EDWARD COLEMAN, Professor of the Veterinary College, in the Parish of Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex; for certain Improvements in the Construction and Application of a Horse-Shoe, which will completely prevent several Diseases to which the Feet of Horses are subject, more especially that very general Disease called Contraction of the Hoof; and is also particularly adapted for flat or, convex Feet for Horses of the Cavalry and for Hunting, and for all other Purposes where the Loss of a Shoe is productive of great Inconvenience.

Dated April 30, 1808.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c.

NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the said Edward Coleman do hereby declare that my said invention is described in manner following; that is to say: As all cases of contracted feet in horses proceed from the hoof being exposed to artificial and unnatural heat in the stable, or from the frog not receiving its due degree of pressure; and as the frog of the horse when shod can rarely be made parallel with the heels of the shoe, it was deemed very important to invent a shoe applicable

applicable to all horses feet, and which would prevent

although the frog was not And as the nails of the

the contraction of the heels, in contact with the ground. shoes are frequently broken, loosened, or altogether lost, and the shoe thereby prematurely removed from the horse, and the horse in consequence often lamed, and always rendered unfit for use until again shod; and as the inconveniences from the loss of a shoe are at all times great, but particularly so in horses used for the cavalry and for hunting, it appeared a great improvement to apply a shoe which would be more firmly united to the hoof than any other shoe hitherto employed, and therefore productive of the best effects in all feet that require much iron and small nails. This shoe can be applied with proper effect by the most ignorant smith, as the simple difference from all other shoes consists merely in the inner and posterior part of both heels of the shoe being turned up so as to touch the inner and posterior part of both bars, by which means the heels of the hoof cannot contract, or the shoe have the smallest degree of lateral motion. The length of the turn up of the shoe is not very material, but it should be sufficiently long to embrace the heel of the bar, and yet not to touch the bottom of the cavity between the bar and frog. A bar-shoe may also be applied with a similar projection, to press against the heels of the bars. the hoof is already contracted, the heels may be mechanically expanded a little by a pair of farrier's tongs every time the horse is shod, and the shoe applied so as to press with more force against the bars; but under these circumstances the hoof should first be made moist by standing two or three hours in water, and the horse not used for a day or two afterwards. In witness whereof, &c. VOL. XIII.-SECOND SERIES. Rr Descrip

If