The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-31 00:00:00

NEW INVENTIONS.

Mr. Albert Macklin, a member of the Civil Service,
tat' a recently patented:anew invention which 'rethink
ill be welcomed bitareil Assengersisays the Civil
',dee Review). Since the earliest days of railways
- attempt. appears to have been made to improve the
ventilation of the carriages. Great as the improve-
:nits are that have been made in the elegance and
comfort of the new rolling stock of our principal lines,
we still find the old apology for a ventilator in the
shape of a small opening above the window, which
neither acts as a new inlet for fresh nor as an outlet
for foul air ; and in order to make the carriage en-
durable it remains still necessary to run the risk of
catching one's death of cold by keeping the window
partly down. Mr. Macklin has now provided the
railway public with a ventilator, by which as much
fresh air is introduced into the carriage as has
hitherto been obtained by means of the open
window, and with the additional advantage that it
enters the carriage free from dust and without draught.
The invention, which is the most simple and inexpen-
sive, requires only a few screws to attach it to the car-
riage door. It consists cif a semicircular tube which is
fixed on the outside of the carriage, directly over the
space occupied by the present so-called ventilator in
railway carriage doors. The tube is open on the side
next the carriage, and there covered with perforated
zinc to keep out the dust and properly diffuse the air
in its passage into the carriage and so prevent draught.
At either end of this tube are hinged flaps opening
inwards, and directly the carriage starts the front
flap is opened and the back one clo:ted by the current
of air produced by the motion of the train, thus
allowing no escape for the rush of air but through the
perforated zinc into the carriage. Some idea of the
amount of fresh air thus introduced may be
gathered by holding the palm of the hand outside
the window of a carriage in full motion. By a most
simple arrangement the regulation of the air supply is
effected, or the ventilator can, at the will of the pas-
senger, be employed either for providing a supply of
fresh air direct or for exhausting the foul air from the
carriage by suction. For India and tropical climates
the patentee provides, in addition to the above.
described apparatus, a refrigerating arrangement for
cooling the air, without moistening it, thus avoiding
the introduction of damp air, which has proved so
prejudicial to the health of railway passengers in India.
Mr. Macklin, in conjunction with Mr. W. E. Moore,
has also invented and patented an apparatus for the
safe storage and carriage of gunpowder and other explo-
sives byroad, rail, canal, &c. The main feature of the
system consists in the fact that from the moment of
leaving the gunpowder magazine the powder is entirely
isolated by means of An unbroken water film half an
inch or more in thickness, which completely surrounds it.
Briefly, the apparatus into which the powder barrels
are placed consists of a water-tight case, covered
with felt, which, during transit by land or water, or in
storage, is placed in specially constructed carts and
barges, or tanks, divided into compartments, each con-
taining water. The case is covered with felt that it
may remain damp for a considerable period after re-
moval from cart or barge to guard agitinst danger
should any delay occur in trans-shipment: In case any
lengthened delay takes place, Messrs. Macklin and
Moore propose to construct a bricked recess, opening
into the water at canal and river wharves, into which
the cases can be immersed. For the storage of powder
at magazines, mines, quarries, railways, gunsmith's,
and other retail dealers', galvanised iron tanks are
used, which are self-supplying with water, into which
the cases are lowered. Had such a system as this been
in use the terrible explosion that occurred last year at
Regent's-park never could have taken place, as the
precautions taken by the patentees make the gun-
invulnerable alike to fire and lightning.

141,
4441.
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