life. We sincerely wish that he may long live to honour the Society with his connection; and we are sure that it adds greatly to the dignity of the office to which the present candidates aspire, to know that it was filled by so talented, and so estimable a prede

cessor.

LIST OF ENGLISH PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 24th OCTOBER, AND THE 26th NOVEMBER, 1839.

Stephen George Dordoy, of Blackman-street, Borough, chemist, for certain improvements in the manufacture of gelatine size and glue. Patent dated October 31; six months to specify.

David Greenwood, of Liverpool, millwright, and William Pickering, of Liverpool, merchant, for improvements in engines for obtaining power. November 2; six months.

Samuel Morand, of Manchester, merchant, for improvements in machinery for stretching fabrics. November 2; six months.

Theobald Wahl, of George-yard, Lombard-street, engineer, for improvements in boilers applicable to locomotive and other engines. November 2; six months.

Alexander Angus Croll, of Greenwich, manufacturing chemist, for improvements in the manufacture of gas, and in re-converting the salts used in purifying gas, and improvements in the manufacture of ammoniacal salts. November 2; six months.

John Cutten, of Margate, coal merchant, for improvements in garden pots. November 2; six

months.

William Hannis Taylor, of New York, but now of Bridge-street, Blackfriars, Esq., for improvements in obtaining power by means of electro-magnetism. November 2; six months.

Frederick Augustus Glover, of Charlton, near Dover, clerk, for an improved instrument for the measurement of angles. November 2; six months.

Henry Venner Cocks, of Birmingham, ironfounder, for certain improvements in stoves and furnaces. November 2; six months.

Henry Crosley, of Hooper-square, Leman-street, engineer, for an improved battery or arrangement of apparatus for the manufacture of sugar. November 7; 4 months.

James Murdoch, of Great Cambridge-street, Hackney-road, mechanical draftsman, for certain improvements in marine steam engines. November 7; six months.

Thomas Yates, of Bolton-le-Moors, manufacturer, for certain improvements in the construction of looms for weaving, and also the application of the same, in order to produce certain descriptions of goods or fabrics by steam or other power. Novemmber 7; six months.

George Hanson, of Huddersfield, plumber and glazier, for certain improvements in the construc. tion of cocks or taps for drawing off fluids. vember 7; six months.

No

Thomas Whiteley and John Whiteley, of Stappleford, near Nottingham, lace makers, for improvements in warp machinery, Nov. 7; six months.

John Thomas Laurente Lamy Godard, of Christopher-street, Finsbury-square, merchant, for improvements in looms for weaving, to be worked by steam or other power (being a communication). November 7; six months.

John Jones, of Westfield-place, Sheffield, for an improved table knife. November 7; six months.

Edmund Moody, of Maiden Bradley, Wilts, yeoman, for improvements in machinery for preparing turnips, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and all other bulbous roots, as food for anfinals. November 7; six months.

Thomas Edmondson, of Manchester, clerk, for certain improvements in printing presses, November 9; six months.

Moses Poole, of Lincoln's-inn, gentleman, for improvements in looms for weaving. November 12; six months.

William Wiesmann, of George-yard, Lombardstreet, merchant, for improvements in the manufacture of alum (being a communication). November 16; six months.

John Burn Smith, of Salford, cotton spinner, for certain improvements in machinery for preparing, roving, spinning, and twisting cotton and other fibrous substances. November 16; six months.

Miles Berry, of Chancery-lane, for an invention or discovery by which certain textile or fibrous plants are rendered applicable to making paper and spinning into yarus, and weaving into cloth, in place of flax, hemp, cotton, and other fibrous materials commonly used for such purpose (being a communication). November 19; six months.

Francis Worrell Stevens, of Chigwell, schoolmaster, for certain improvements in apparatus for propelling boats and other vessels on water. No. vember 19; six months.

John Parsons, of the Stag tavern, Fulham-road. victualler, for improvements in preventing and curing smoky chimneys. November 21; six

months.

John Farand, of Middlewich, Chester, gentleman, for certain improvements in the mode of constructing, applying, and using railway switches for connecting different lines of railway, or two distinct railways; and for passing locomotive, steam, and other engines and railway carriages and waggons, from the one to the other of such railways, and for certain apparatus connected therewith. November 21; six months.

Robert Hawthorn and John William Hawthorn, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, civil engineers, for certain improvements in locomotive and other steamengines in respect of the boilers and the conveying of steam therefrom to the cylinders. November 21; six months.

Pierre Auguste Ducote, of St. Martin's-lane, for certain improvements in printing china, porcelain, earthenware, and other like wares, and for printing on paper, calicoes, silks, woollen, oil-cloths, leather, and other fabrics, and for an improved material to be used in printing. November 21; six months.

William Daubney Holmes, of Lambeth-square, C. E., for certain improvements in the construction of iron ships, boats, and other vessels, and also in means for preventing the same from foundering, also in the application of the same improvements; or parts thereof to other vessels. Nov. 23; six months.

John Hunt, of Greenwich, engineer, for an improved method of propelling and steering vessels. Nov 23; six months.

Richard Hornsby, of Spittlegate, Lincoln, agricultural machine maker, for an improved machine for drilling land, and sowing grain and seeds of different descriptions, either with or without bone or other manure. Nov. 25; six months.

John Sutton, of John-street, Lambeth, machinist, for improvements in obtaining power. Nov. 25; six months.

James Craig, of Newbattle Paper Mill, Edinburgh, for an improvement or improvements in the ma chinery for manufacturing paper. Nov. 25; six

months.

Arthur Collen, of Stoke, by Hayland, plumber, for improvements in pumps. Nov. 25; six months. James Matley, of Manchester, gent., for improve.

LIST OF SCOTCH PATENTS GRANTED
BETWEEN THE 22D OF OCTOBER AND

THE 22D OF NOVEMBER, 1839.
Alexander Borland, of Paisley, Renfrew, ac-
countant, for a machine for measuring water and
other liquids, and registering the quantity thereof.
Sealed 26th of October, 1839.

James Smith, of Deanston Works, Kilmadock, Perth, cotton spinner, for certain improvements applicable to canal navigation. Oct. 26.

George Chapman, of Whitby, York, Engineer, for certain improvements in steam-engines. Oct. 26. Samuel Wilks, of Darleston, Stafford, iron founder, for improvements in boxes and pins, or screws for vices and presses. Oct. 28.

Thomas Nicholas Raper, of Bridge street, Blackfriars, London, for improvements in rendering fabrics and leather water-proof. Oct. 28.

Robert Edward Morrice, of King William-street, London, gent., (communication from a foreigner) for improvements in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and coverings for the legs. Oct. 28.

James Smith, Deanston Works, Kilmadock, Perth, cotton spinner, for a self-acting temple, applicable to looms for weaving fabrics, whether moved by hand or power. Nov. 1.

James Yates, Effingham Works, Rotherham, York, iron founder and earthenware manufacturer, for certain improvements in the construction of cupola or blast furnaces for melting metals, which improvements are also applicable to furnaces or fire-places for other purposes. Nov. 1.

John Barnett Humphreys, of Southampton, C.E., for certain improvements in shipping generally, and in steam vessels in particular; some of these improvements being individually novel, and some the result of novel applications or combinations of parts already known. Nov. 1.

John George Bodmer, of Manchester, Lancaster, C. E., for certain improvements in machinery, or apparatus for cutting, planing, turning, drilling and rolling metals and other substances. Nov. 8. William Newton, of Chancery Lane, Middlesex, C. E., (communication from a foreigner) of certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for making, or manufacturing screws. Nov. 11.

James Sutcliffe, of Henry-street, Limerick, builder, for certain improvements in machinery, or apparatus for raising and forcing water or other fluids, and increasing the power of water upon waterwheels and other machinery. Nov. 11.

James Ulric Vaucher, of Mount-street, Grosvenor square, Middlesex, for certain improvements in fire-engines and other hydraulic machines, and apparatus for raising or propelling water and other fluids, some of which improvements are also applicable to steam-engines. Nov. 11.

Moses Poole, of Lincoln's Inn, Middlesex, gent. (communication from a foreigner,) for improvements in apparatus applicable to steam boilers, in order to render them more safe. Nov. 11.

James Craig, of Newbattle Paper Mills, Newbattle, Edinburgh, for an invention of an improvement or improvements in the machinery for manufacturing paper. Nov. 12.

Pierre Auguste Ducote, of No. 70, St. Martin's Lane, Middlesex. for certain improvements in printing china, porcelain, earthenware, and other like wares, and for printing on paper, calicoes, silks, woollens, oil cloths, leather, and other fabrics, and for an improved material to be used in printing Nov. 14.

John Dickinson, of Nash Mill, Hertford, paper-, maker, for certain improvements in the manufacture of paper, Nov. 18.

159

George Hanson, of Huddersfield, York, plumber and brazier, for certain improvements in the construction of cocks or taps for drawing off liquids Nov. 19.

William Wiesman, of George Yard, Lombardstreet, London, merchant, (in consequence of a communication from a certain foreigner residing abroad, and partly by invention of his own,) for improvements in the manufacture of Alum. Nov. 22.

Charles Andrew Caldwell, of Audley-square, Middlesex, Esq. (communication from a foreigner residing abroad) for improvements in furnaces and apparatus for supplying the heat of fuel. Nov. 22.

Frederick Clark, of Chelsea, Middlesex, (communication from a foreigner residing abroad) for improvements in building ships steam-vessels, and boats, and also in the building of canal and river barges, and lighters. Nov. 22.

LIST OF IRISH PATENTS GRANTED IN

OCTOBER, 1839.

J. Templeton and W. Quiglay, for a new improved mode of manufacturing silk, cotton, and linen fabrics.

J. C. Miller, for certain improvements in printing calicoes, muslin, or other materials. Oct. 4.

R. Griffiths, for certain improvements in presses, which are also applicable to the raising of weights. Oct. 8.

D. Johnston, for certain improvements in the manufacture of hinges.

J. Burch, for certain improvements in printing cotton, woollen, paper, and other fabrics and materials.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Electro Magnetism as a Motive Power.-Dr. Jones, Editor of the Journal of the Franklin Institute, in noticing a patent recently granted in America for an Electro Magnetic Engine, observes,-It has been satisfactorily ascertained by numerous and well-conducted experiments, in the hands of persons of competent scientific knowledge, that the attainment or an available motive power by the electro magnetic influence, is a thing not to be hoped for, in the present state of our knowledge upon that subject; and that although we have much to learn conce ning this agent, we have no ground, by reasoning from what we do know, to justify the hope that the steam-engine will eventually give place to the electro magnetic power. After this it is hardly necessary to remark that all the instruments hitherto constructed for this purpose have proved to be failures, so far as practical utilitarianism is concerned. That before us depends for its action upon a change of poles, in a manner common to most of its compeers; but it was thought that the particular arrangement of the parts, presented sufficient novelty upon which to base a claim, and a patent was therefore granted for it; but this will not protect it from the fate which has overtaken, or awaits, the whole brotherhood. A year ago, applications for patents, were numerous, and many caveats were entered, for the purpose of protecting the inventors of such machines, but many months have passed over, as we believe, without any new device having been offered, and we are glad of it, because we think that those who might be induced to continue such attempts for profit, would be destined to encounter certain

loss.

Steam and Air Engine.-A gentleman of this town informs us, that he has invented a new engine, immensely superior in every respect to the old steam-engine. The power is created by air and steam. It will consume only one-half the quantity of fuel of the old one; and the rapidity by which a vessel propelled by it will sail will enable it to perform a passage to America in six days,

Owing to a particular way in which the power acts upon the vessel, 20 miles the hour can be realized with the greatest possible ease. the weight of machinery will be only one-half that required by the old steam-engine, and, instead of straining and weakening the ship, will brace and strengthen it. By this method the steam power is more than doubled.- Liverpool paper.

Indha Rubber Boat." There has just been launched on the Neva," says a St. Petersburgh letter, "an India rubber boat. It is made of sail-cloth, impregnated with caoutchouc. It may be rolled up, and in the space of ten minutes can be filled with air by means of four little cocks, by which inflation it assumes the form of a boat. During its trial on the river it held three persons and excited much attention, as well by the readiness of its movements as by its very pretty appearance."

Miller's Patent Fire-bars.-A patent has been taken out for a new fire bar, which is suited not only to the common steam-engine furnaces, but can with equal facility be applied to the furnaces of marine engines, and the locomotive engines of railways, &c. The principle of the invention consists in moving each alternate bar longitudinally in one direction, whilst the intermediate bars are moved in the opposite one. This movement, aided by the channelled surface of the bars, breaks up the clinkers the instant they are formed, or prevents their formation, and thus keeps the air way perfectly free. Considerable attention has, from time to time, been paid to the improvement of the firebar, now become of so much importance to the manufacturing community, by men eminently quali fied, and several patents have been obtained for this purpose, all of which have been very considerable improvements over the ordinary fire-bar. The object of the inventors not being always the same, has produced a great variety of plans, which have had more or less merit. Brunton, and also Steel, with a view to an equal distribution of the fire, made the grate itself revolve; others have simply moved the fire-bars, with the intention of preventing the adhesion of clinkers, and the consequent obstruction of the air-way. This is the object of Miller's patent, which, being simple in its principle, of easy construction, not requiring extraordinary strength, and consequently no increased weight of metal, the object is attained with little increased expenзe over the ordinary fire-bar. The advantages it secures are very considerable; for not only, by the perfect freedom from all obstruction of the air-way, is the combustion of the fuel and its heating power considerably increased, but coal of an inferior quality can be used without the usual effect of choking up the grate. By the vigorous combustion which this grate ensures, it prevents large masses of coal from passing away unconsumed in the form of smoke, and consequently must effect a considerable saving in fuel. The ingenious patentee is the chief engineer of the extensive works of Messrs. Thomson, Brothers and Sons, Primrose, near Clitheroe, where these bars have been for some time at work, and have fully realised the expectations of the inventor. -Manchester Guardian. [The description of Mr. Miller's improvement here given is not very distinct; but it appears to us very much to resemble that patented by Mr. Walter Hancock for the same purpose. See Mr. Hancock's "Narrative of Twelve Years' Experiments," p. 92; or Mech. Mag. vol. 20, p. 67.—ED. M. M.]

Machine for Propelling Carriages.-We understand that Mr. Boydell, who has a patent for an improved method of propelling carriages, will, at the request of some of the Staffordshite ironmasters, exhibit a machine propelled by manual power, on the 29th of this month, at the Himley Arms, Himley. Some time ago he made several experi

ments in the neighbourhood of Chester, when he showed the power of the principle by propelling several carts attached to the machine, and seventy persons riding, by one man's power, for a short distance, at the rate of half a mile an hour; a carriage itself, with two men working, at the rate of eight miles an hour; and one carriage attached, with seven persons riding, at the rate of about six miles an hour. By steam power there is no doubt any speed may be obtained, or any weight of load pulled forward; and it is confidently hoped that this principle of movement will do away with the necessity of making railroads only upon nearly a level, and that the same power which is now used to propel carriages on railways will take them up any inclination not exceeding one in thirty.-Wolverhampton Chronicle. [We should be much obliged, if Mr. Boydell would favour us with a description of his machine, and statement of the announced experiment.-ED. M. M.]

New Method of Det rmining the Carlon contiined in Cast-iron and Steel.-The determination of carbon contained in cast-iron is easily accomplished, and with great exactness, by the following proceeding:-You take five grains of cast-iron, reduced to filings when the cast iron is soft, or pulve. rised in a mortar when it is brittle, and mix it with sixty to eighty grains of chromate of lead, melted previously. You take away about a third or fourth of this mixture, and put it aside. To the remainder you add five grains of chlorate of potass, which contain the quantity of oxygen required to change the iron into peroxide; afterwards you introduce the threefold mixture into a tube of glass, similar to those for organic analysis, but which may be much shorter. Afterwards you add to this the portion of the mixture of cast-iron and chromate of lead, which had been put aside. Lastly, you adapt to the tube the common Liebig apparatus, for the analysis of organic substances. The portion of the tube containing the mixture without chlorate is heated, and when it is red-hot you begin to heat that part which contains the chlorate, and the fire thus is advanced successively, in proportion as the disengagement of gas diminishes. By this proceeding the cast-iron at first burns completely by the oxygen of the chromate, and only a small quantity of this gas escapes through the tube. Afterwards, the temperature becoming higher, combustion is finished by the chromate of lead, which, in melting, oxydates the last portions of cast-iron. It is convenient to envelope the tube with a sheet of copper, because at the end it is necessary to heat it very strongly in order to obtain a complete fusion of the chromate. The oxydation of the cast-iron is complete, as you may assure yourself, by grinding, after the combustion, the matter contained in the tubenot a particle of matter remaining which is attracted by the loadstone. The analysis is so easy that the whole proceeding is finished in less than half an hour. Of the perfect concordance of the results we may judge from the three following analysis, made on the same grey cast-iron obtained by the hot air process:

1. Five grains have produced 0-582 of carbonic acid.

2. Five ditto 3. Five ditto

ditto ditto

0.585 0.583

ditto ditto

Carbon, therefore, 1st, 3:22; 2d, 3-23; 3d, 3.25. When the cast-iron contains sulphur not a trace of sulphuric acid is disengaged, all the sulphur remaining in the tube in the state of sulphate of lead. I assured myself of it by producing the combustion of the sulphuret of iron. With the chromate of lead alone not all the carbon is obtained; the chromate, by losing much oxygen, becomes less fusible, and the oxydation penetrates with difficulty to the centre of the grains of a somewhat thick cast-iron. -Annales de Chimie.

PARKIN'S PATENT CARRIAGE FOR

DESCENDING HILLS. [Patent dated 9th April-Specification enrolled October 9.]

Mr. Thomas Parkin's patent for "improvements in railroad and other carriages, in wheels for such carriages, and in roads and ways on which they are to travel"'--comprises, it will be seen, three divisions:-carriages, wheels and roads. We shall this week publish the first division of the subject-" the improvements in railroad and other carriages"-and defer the others to another occasion. We shall say nothing upon the merits of the invention, further than to remark, that Mr. Parkin should have specified some speedy method of training horses not to kick on being swung up by the belly, a trick they are much given to, as may be observed in the operation of embarking and landing these animals. Jacob Astley is at present the only patentee on record for horse training-Mr. Parkin will doubtless shortly keep him company.

Mr. Parkin's " improvements in railroad and other carriages" consist firstly, in modifying the carriage, whether waggon or coach, and in combining with the modification an apparatus for lifting the horse, or horses, entirely off the ground, and suspending him or them from the carriage, or the carriage frame, while descending hills; and adding a break to one or two of the wheels to retard the velocity whereby the carriage may be safely allowed to run down hill by its ovn gravity at a speed considerally greater than the safety of the horses would otherwise permit, and yet that the carriage may be retarded or stopped at pleasure by means of the break; and further, in combining with the carriage the means of causing the hinder axletree to turn on a centre pin instead of the fore axletree, as in common use for guiding the carriage; and in providing for the fixing of the axletree at right angles to the path of the carriage while running on railways."

in front of the carriage more distinctly. Fig. 3, front elevation of fig. 1, with the horses omitted to show the apparatus more distinctly. The carriage, as repre sented in these three figures, is designed for being run on common roads, but I make a modification for exclusive use on such railroads as are unconnected with common roads, by fixing each pair of wheels upon one common revolving axle in the ordinary manner, and placing flanches on the inner side of the wheels to keep them from running off the rails, and I also remove the connecting rods, and fix the hinder axle parallel to the fore axle. The letters and numbers of reference signifying the same parts in all the figures, 1, 2 and 3. a represents the forewheels of the carriage, which are placed far forwards, in order that the weight of the carriage may have good leverage power for lifting the horses; b, the axle. tree of the front wheels; c, the hind wheels; d, the axletree of the hinder wheels; this axletree turns on a centre pin under a cross bar, upon which the springs of the carriage are bolted; e, the hinder cross bar of the carriage frame, under which the axletree d turns; f, the centre pin fixed in the cross bar; e, g, two iron rods holding the cross bar e and fore axle b, parallel to each other; h, two iron rods for the further bracing of the bar e and front axletree together; k, four springs for supporting the carriage body; 1, the carriage body; m, the seat for the driver; n, an upright frame of wood affixed upon the front axletree; p, two iron diagonal braces to strengthen the frame n; q, two iron rods to support the top of the frame n, from the cross bar e; r, a horizontal frame projecting forwards from about the middle of the height of the upright frame n; s, two iron diagonal braces for strengthening the frame; rs', two iron rods for keeping the outer ends of the frame r at proper distances; t, three braces of wood for supporting the front end of the horizontal framer from the axletree; ba, three strong bearing bars secured to the upper end of the upright frame n and to the front end of the horizontal frame; rc, a shaft lying across and revolving on the middle parts of the three bars #; w, a toothed wheel fixed on the end of the shaft; va, a worm working in and driving the toothed wheel w; y, a spindle and winch for turning the worm;