Read Ebook: Scientific American magazine Vol 2. No. 3 Oct 10 1846 The Advocate of Industry and Journal of Scientific Mechanical and Other Improvements by Various Porter Rufus Editor

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Messrs. Hartshorn, Payson & Ring entered at the Patent Office, September 3d, an improved stove, in which they claim the combination of the common wood stove and cylinder coal stove, so that the coal may be burned alone, and the draught so arranged as at the same time to heat the wood stove with the same heat, and if wood alone should be burned, then the draught should be so managed and arranged as at the same time to heat the side radiators and coal cylinders. A minute description of this improvement, is not, in this place, essential.

We have never been able to understand the reason why iron has so long been neglected as a covering for roofs, but are gratified to learn that Mr. Wm. Beach, of Troy, N. Y., has invented and patented a mode of using cast iron plates for covering roofs. They are about one foot square, and are made to fit one into another, so as to render the roof water tight, by applying white lead to the joints. It can be afforded at 16 cents the square foot, and probably may be so far improved as to cost no more than slate, and will be much more permanent and safe. We see no difficulty in dispensing with white lead, however, and making the seams tight without it.

This improvement was entered Sept. 5th, by John F. Rogers. What he claims is the combination of the balance beam with the centre beam, by means of the recesses in the centre beam, spring plates, having tubes thereon on which the springs rest, and attached to the beam by bolts, by which a compact and secure connection is formed, while all the necessary flexibility is preserved.

Castle Garden, or more correctly Castle Clinton, is at the southern extremity of our city. It was built for a fort--is of a circular form, of solid mason work, surrounded by the waters of the bay--connected to that ornament of the city, the Battery, by a long bridge. This bridge the managers have covered with a roof, and thus secured a very eligible and spacious apartment for the exhibition of carriages, sleighs, carts, farming implements and machinery in great variety. Thence the ingress suddenly opens into view the whole interior, creating the most lively and pleasing emotions.

In the columns of the Scientific American we shall endeavor to give those details that will, we trust, interest our readers and promote the cause of American improvements.

After leaving the bridge, the passage way to the interior of the Castle is ornamented on both sides with a pleasing display of Baths--the immersion bath made of tin and of iron, and these combined with the showering apparatus. The shower baths are variously constructed, and some of them are of finished workmanship and costly material. Stebbin's Patent Furniture shower Bath presents itself first in the form of a very convenient washstand, with all its out fit; it is next easily converted into a work stand; with equal dispatch it assumes the form of a shower bath, furnished with every requisite. We regard this as an ingenious piece of furniture, that will greatly increase the use of the shower-bath, and thus add to the health of the community.

Much ingenuity has been expended in combining the Sofa and Bedstead. The first that attracted our attention was that manufactured by Mr. John A. Robson, 30th st. and 8th Avenue. It is on the double cone spring, so constructed that using it as a bed does not affect the cushion, and vice versa. The matrass or bed is 4 by 6 feet, without an intervening bar. It is exceedingly simple, of admirable contrivance, and of moderate price.

The display of American Cutlery is rich, affording a most gratifying evidence of the progress of the useful arts among us. Our neighbors, J. C. Nixon & Sons, in the Sun Buildings, feel quite confident that they will, as usual, carry off the premiums, particularly for their much celebrated tailor's shears. In the manufacture of engravers' tools; they challenge not only all America, but the world itself.--They manufacture for customers, from whom their articles have derived their just and solid reputation.

We have recently seen a model of a new Steam Printing Press, the invention of Mr. Wm. W. Marston, a young and ingenious mechanic of this city. A mass of other matters prevents our giving a description at present; we shall probably procure an engraving, however, and publish a full description in a few days.

OF MODELS.

SEC. 26. The law requires that the inventor shall deliver a model of his invention or improvement when the same admits of a model. The model should he neatly made, and as small as a distinct representation of the machine or improvement, and its characteristic properties, will admit; the name of the inventor should be printed or engraved upon, or fixed to it, in a durable manner. Models forwarded without a name, cannot be entered on record, and therefore liable to be lost or mislaid.

SEC. 27. When the invention is of 'a composition of matter,' the law requires that the application be accompanied with specimens of ingredients, and of the composition of matter, sufficient in quantity for the purpose of experiment.

ON GRANTING ANEW LOST PATENTS.

SEC. 28. The third sec. of the act of March 3, 1837, provides:

'SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That whenever it shall appear to the Commissioner that any patent was destroyed by the burning of the Patent Office building on the aforesaid fifteenth day of December, or was otherwise lost prior thereto, it shall be his duty, on application therefor by the patentee, or other persons interested therein, to issue a new patent for the same invention or discovery, bearing the date of the original patent, with his certificate thereon, that it was made and issued pursuant to the provisions of the third section of this act; and shall enter the same of record; Provided, however, That before such patent shall be issued, the applicant therefor shall deposit in the Patent Office a duplicate, as near as may be, of the original model, drawings, and description, with specification of the invention or discovery, verified by oath, as it shall be required by the Commissioner; and such patent and copies of such drawings and descriptions, duly certified, shall be admissible as evidence in any judicial court of the United States, and shall protect the rights of the patentee, his administrators, heirs, and assigns, to the extent only in which they would have been protected by the original patent and specification.'

PROCEEDINGS ON APPLICATIONS FOR PATENTS, AND ON APPEALS FROM DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER.

SEC. 29. 'That on the filing of any such application and the payment of the duty hereinafter provided, the Commissioner shall make, or cause to be made, an examination, of the alleged new invention or discovery; and if, on any such examination, it shall not appear to the Commissioner that the same had been invented or discovered by any other person in this country prior to the alleged invention or discovery thereof by the applicant, or that it had been patented or described in any printed publication in this or any foreign country, or had been in public use or on sale, with the applicant's consent or allowance, prior to the application, if the Commissioner shall deem it to be sufficiently useful and important, it shall be his duty to issue a patent therefor. But whenever on such examination it shall appear to the Commissioner that the applicant was not the original and first inventor or discoverer thereof, or that any part of that which is claimed as new had before been invented or discovered or patented, or described in any printed publication in this or any foreign country as aforesaid, or that the description is defective and insufficient, he shall notify the applicant thereof, giving him briefly such information and references as may be useful in judging of the propriety of renewing his application, or of altering his specification to embrace only that part of the invention or discovery which is new. In every such case, if the applicant shall elect to withdraw his application, relinquishing his claim to the model, he shall be entitled to receive back twenty dollars, part of the duty required by this act, on filing a notice in writing of such election in the Patent Office; a copy of which, certified by the Commissioner, shall be a sufficient warrant to the Treasurer for paying back to the said applicant the said sum of twenty dollars. But if the applicant, in such case, shall persist in his claim for a patent, with or without any alteration his specification, he shall be required to make oath or affirmation anew, in manner as aforesaid; and if specification and claim shall not have been so modified as, in the opinion of the Commissioner, shall entitle the applicant to a patent, he may appeal to the Chief Justice of the United States Court for the District of Columbia, who may affirm or reverse the decision of the Commissioner of Patents, in whole or in part, and may order a patent to issue; or he may have remedy against the decision of the Commissioner of Patents, or the decision of the Chief Justice of the United States Court for the District of Columbia, by filing a bill in equity in any of the United States Courts having jurisdiction, as hereinafter explained.

A cotton manufacturer in New-Haven lost his operatives, last week, by attempting to reduce their wages.

INTRODUCTION.--There have appeared, in modern times, but few machines, to which more importance apparently attaches, than to the one here presented. It is well known that the best paper hangings, or room-papers command from to ,50 per piece, of eight yards, while most of those of American manufacture are sold for 25 to 50 cents per piece; and this difference is occasioned by the difficulty and extra labor of applying a great variety of different colors. But by means of this machine, seven, twelve, or even twenty different colors, may be accurately applied by one operation, and with less labor than is required to print with a single color, by the ordinary method; and thus the manufacturer will be enabled to sell, for 50 cents, such patterns as ordinarily cost a dollar or more, to either import or manufacture them.

EXPLANATION.--The first row of gear wheels, A B, are attached to the ends of a row of cylinders, each cylinder being 30 inches long, and 3 inches in diameter. These cylinders support a broad, endless apron or belt, which passes over the whole series, and supports the strip of paper as it passes through the machine to receive the colors. The second series of wheels, C D, are attached to cylinders of the same dimensions of those in the first row, and are connected to each other by intervening pinions, whereby a uniform velocity is maintained through the whole series. The peripheries of this row of cylinders are cut in figures, according to the design of the pattern to be worked. The figures are left prominent, so as to come in contact with the paper upon the apron, as the cylinder revolves; the surface between the figures, being cut away to the depth of one eighth of an inch. Each of these printing cylinders contains sections of the figures to be printed, and is calculated to work a different color from the others; and the sections of figures on each cylinder are calculated to match those of the others, so as to complete the entire figure in all its colors on the paper. The entire machine is put in operation by a band, passing over the band-wheel, H. The third row of cylinders, E F, are distributing cylinders, which are put in motion by mere contact with the series below, and receives the several colors from the small cylinders in the upper rows, and distributes the same upon the prominent figures of the printing cylinders. The fourth series, I J, are called the receiving cylinders, because they receive the colors from the hoppers or reservoirs, M N, and impart them to the series below. The cylinders of the third and fourth rows, are covered with cloth, and the bottom of each hopper is so nicely fitted to its respective cylinder, that but a small quantity of each color adheres to the cloth periphery of the cylinder. The colors ordinarily used consist of various pigments, ground and mixed in water, with a solution of glue. The principles of this mode of color printing have been satisfactorily tested, though the entire machine has not yet been constructed: and any person who may be disposed to construct and enjoy the exclusive use of this invention, may have the most favorable terms.

NEW INVENTIONS.

Messrs. Culbertson, McMillen & Co. of Cincinnati, have recently put in successful operation, a new machine, a description of which is given in a Cincinnati paper, as follows:

'A frame of fourteen moulds, one brick to each is drawn by the power of steam between two press rollers, the lower one of which enables the frame to support the pressure of the upper roller, and being run through backwards and forwards equalizes the pressure over the entire face of the brick. These, after undergoing in this mode a pressure of nearly one hundred tons to each brick, a pressure which covers clay, apparently perfectly dry, with a coat of glossy moisture, are raised above the surface of the mould by parallel levers, and are then delivered over to a bench or table by self-acting machinery, whence they are taken in barrows to the stacker at the kiln.

The dry clay is shoveled into a hopper, and if more of the material is pressed into a mould than serves to make a brick, a knife which ranges with the surface of the mould, shaves off the surplus.

Two hands shoveling, two more taking off, and one at the barrow, constitute a gang of five persons who turn out from 30,000 to 35,000 per day of ten hours. As brick makers' days are from sun to sun, say twelve working hours per day, during the season, from 46 to 50,000 bricks, per day, may be made by a single machine. This is, however, by no means the most important feature in the invention.

In the ordinary mode of making bricks, the manufacturer cannot begin operations for the season, until the spring has so far advanced that working in wet clay will no longer chill his moulders' hands. On the same account, he loses also morning hours, until the advance of summer enables his hands to put in the whole period of daylight. He loses, also, sometimes days together--from the entire stoppage of his operations in the rainy weather, which forbids the bricks being put out to dry. In making press brick, all these difficulties are obviated. As a theory, operations in this mode can go on throughout the entire winter, frost never extending into solid clay; but as a practical business, it can be conveniently carried on two months earlier and one month later than in the ordinary mode. Pressed brick, made by these machines, are also stronger than their competitive article, the last of equal hardness in burning, always giving way when struck by the pressed bricks, as I have witnessed. Indeed, it cannot be otherwise, the one being porous and the other as compact as the enormous pressure employed can make it.

The machine, it must be apparent, offers peculiar advantages in turning out brick without occupying the ordinary brick yard space necessary for spreading wet brick out to dry. It affords great economy in time, owing to its operations being independent of frost or rains. To every new and thriving place commencing the making of bricks, it dispenses with the necessity of bringing skilful workmen from other places--in short, it enables every man to be his own brick-maker. Under these considerations, I anticipate an extensive sale of these machines, especially for places at a distance.

We are informed that a large mill for sawing marble is in course of erection at Brandon, Vt. The marble in that vicinity is principally of a beautiful white, and of a fine texture, though not very hard.

It is reported that locks for elevating railroad trains, from one level to another, are coming into successful use in France. It appears to us to be much behind the age, since, by certain American inventions, an ordinary train may be elevated 100 feet in five minutes, by the engine alone.

We have alluded to this subject in a former number, and now present one of the several plans which have been introduced within the present year, although we are not fully authorised to give the name of the inventor of this particular plan. We have preferred to represent the paddles and crank unconnected with an apparent vessel or section thereof, but must require the reader to suppose that the line A B is the level of the railing of the boat, and that the crank-shaft E projects from the side, while the crank-pivot governs the motion of the walking bar D E, and with it the paddles, which are supposed to be just now dipping in the surface of the water. It will be understood that the motion of the walking bar being circular, and that of the heads of the paddles being vertical and nearly rectilinear, the motion of the blades of the paddles must be elliptical, inclining to the horizontal; and that the position of the paddles is kept so nearly vertical that they will meet with less resistance in entering or leaving the water than those of a common paddle wheel, while the atmospheric resistance to be encountered thereby is much less. There appears no reasonable doubt that this plan might be made to succeed well on a larger scale, though it is very doubtful whether any of the steamboat proprietors can be persuaded to adopt it until it has been more thoroughly tested by experiment.

This discovery, the result of many years of incessant toil and research, has been deduced by a train of reasoning and an examination of facts scarcely to be surpassed in the annals of science.

He announces his discovery in the following language: 'I therefore pronounce the Pleiades to be the central group of that mass of fixed stars limited by the stratum composing the Milky Way and Alcyene as the individual star of this group, which, among all others, combines the greatest probability of being the true Central Sun.'

The 'Ocean Steam Company,' which has the patronage of the United States Government to the amount of 0,000 per annum, are getting on rapidly with the first steamship of their line. She is to be completed and commence running on the first of March next.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 10, 1846.

It is dangerous for a man of superior ability to find himself thrown upon the world without some regular employment. The restlessness inherent in genius, being thus undirected by any permanent influence, frames for itself occupations out of accidents. Moral integrity sometimes falls a prey to the want of a fixed pursuit, and the man who receives his direction in active life from the fortuitous impulse of circumstances, will be very apt to receive his principles likewise from chance. Genius, under such guidance, attains no noble ends, but resembles rather a copious spring conveyed in a falling aqueduct, where the waters continually escape through the frequent crevices, and waste themselves ineffectually on their passage. The law of nature is here, as elsewhere, binding, and no powerful results ever ensue from the trivial exercise of high endowments. The finest mind, when thus destitute of a fixed purpose, passes away without leaving permanent traces of its existence; losing its energy by turning aside from its course, it becomes as harmless and inefficient as the lightning, which, of itself irresistible, may yet be rendered powerless by a slight conductor.

Write--keep writing--is the motto of an editor. If he has no ideas, he must dig for them; if he has but little time to arrange them, no matter, the work must be done. Sickness may come upon him; want may stare him in the face, but he must cogitate something for the dear public. Perhaps in his darkest moments, he indites a paragraph that cheers thousands. When almost desponding, his words may put courage into the hearts of millions. Who would be an editor? Yet he has much to encourage him. If he can call no time his own, he is not rusting out, or in unprofitable society. A faithful contributor of the public press, is a man of great influence. No person has more power than himself. He instructs tens of thousands, and leads them to virtue, to honor, to happiness. No man will have more to answer for than the conductor of a corrupt and vacillating press.

The news by the Great Western which arrived on Wednesday week, was published within four hours in Boston, New Haven, Springfield, Albany, Utica, Rochester, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

The following beautiful extract we find in a recent number of the New York Sun. It is from the pen of Mr. C. D. Stuart, the able correspondent of that paper, now in London.

Erastus Corning & Co. are about establishing a factory near the ferry at Troy, for the manufacture of all kinds of glass ware. The work is fast progressing, and in about four weeks they will commence blowing. It will afford employment to a large number of men, and will, no doubt, meet with that success which it certainly merits.

The editor of the New Haven Herald sets it down as a fact in natural history, proved by his experience for years, that when a traveller rides up to a toll gate, the keeper--if a man, invariably brings out a box, or a handful of change; but if a woman, she comes out and takes the traveller's coin, and then goes back for the change.

DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY.

Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun, is a globe of about 3140 miles in diameter, rotating on its axis in 24 hours and 5 1-2 minutes, and revolving round the central luminary, at a distance of 37,000,000 of miles, in 88 days.--From the earth it can only be seen occasionally in the morning or evening, as it never rises before, or sets after the sun, at a greater distance of the time than 1 hour and 50 minutes. It appears to the naked eye as a small and brilliant star, but when observed through a telescope, is horned like the moon, because we only see a part of the surface which the sun is illuminating. Mountains of great height have been observed on the surface of this planet, particularly in its lower or southern hemisphere. One has been calculated at 10 3-4 miles in height, being about eight times higher, in proportion to the bulk of the planet, than the loftiest mountains upon earth. The matter of Mercury is of much greater density than that of the earth, equalling lead in weight; so that a human being placed upon its surface would be so strongly drawn towards the ground as scarcely to be able to crawl.

Venus is a globe of about 7800 miles in diameter, or nearly the size of the earth, rotating on its axis in 23 hours, 21 minutes, and 19 seconds, and revolving round the sun, at the distance of 68,000,000 of miles in 225 days.--Like Mercury, it is visible to an observer on the earth only in the morning and evening, but for a greater space of time before sunrise and after sunset. It appears to us the most brilliant and beautiful of all the planetary and stellar bodies, occasionally giving so much light as to produce a sensible shadow. Observed through a telescope, it appears horned, on account of our seeing only a part of its luminous surface. The illuminating part of Venus occasionally presents slight spots. It has been ascertained that its surface is very unequal, the greatest mountains being in the southern hemisphere, as in the case of both Mercury and the Earth. The higher mountains in Venus range between 10 and 22 miles in altitude. The planet is also enveloped in an atmosphere like that by which animal and vegetable life is supported on earth; and it has consequently a twilight. Venus performs its revolution round the sun in 225 days. Mercury and Venus have been termed the Inferior Planets, as being placed within the orbit of the Earth.

The form of the earth, and probably that of every other planet, is not strictly spheroidal; that is, flattened a little at the poles, or extremities of the axis. The diameter of the earth at the axis is 56 miles less than in the cross direction. This peculiarity of the form is a consequence of the rotatory motion, as will be afterwards explained.

The steamer Hibernia arrived at Boston on Saturday last, thirteen days from Liverpool.

The British Government and people have manifested so much violent opposition to the marriage of the youngest son of Louis Phillipe to a sister of the Queen of Spain, that the celebration of the nuptials has been postponed for the present, if not forever; and there is apparent danger of a rupture between England and France on this account.

In Spain, Don Carlos having escaped from imprisonment, it is expected that a serious insurrection will immediately take place.

Property to the amount of 0,000 has been destroyed by incendiary fires at Leipsic. A line of electric telegraph has been put in operation between Brussels and Antwerp.

Twenty thousand bales of cotton were sold at Liverpool on the 14th of September.

According to recent intelligence by private letters, Gen. Kearney has taken quiet possession of Santa Fe, notwithstanding the considerable preparations which the Mexicans had made to defend it. Gen. Armijo had assembled 5000 troops to defend the Canon Pass, but on account of the disaffection and insubordination of his officers and men, he was constrained to retreat on the approach of a few companies of Americans.

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