The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-17 00:00:00

[PRICE (DOUBLE SHEET) FOURI'ENCE.

sengers would feel the pleasant sensation of first
being pulled along and then pnslied. It seems to us
as if the atmospheric principle was here at its last
Watkins and 11111 exhibit some beautiful sectional
models of steam-engines; they are most useful for
diffusing a poetical knowledge of the steam-engine.
We allude particularly to the condensing steam-
engine. Visitors who wish to gain a perfect notion
of the inward action of a condensing steam-engine,
that is, who wish to see how the steam is made to act
above and below the piston, how it is condensed, &c.,
have only to look at this model.
Fairbiiirn, amongst other things, exhibits a patent
tubular crane ; the jib is composed of a wrought iron
tube, on the same principle as tubular girders,
another application lately developed of the strength
of tubular structures.

There is a most excellent show of manufacturing
machines and tools. Whitworth has quite an engine
factory there are self acting lathes, planing, slot-
ting, drilling and boring. screwing. cutting, and
dividing, punching and shearing machines, patent
screw stocks, with dies and taps. Sharp has a good
collection; so has flick and some others; but Whit-
worth's seem to be the best. We could not see any
machine of new principle or construction ; there are
a few improvements here and there, rendering tho
machines more perfect—but these we are un
able to point out; the visitors are guarded of
these machines by ropes, so that these ma-
chines can be looked at but not investigated; it is
quite right that the mass of visitors should be thus
guarded off, but still if a visitor takes a particular
interest in examining a machine we do not see why
that interest should not be gratitted—if otherwise,
what is the use of the Exhibition.

(arforth exhibits his direct-action steam rivetting
machine; iu Fairbairres machine the rivetting it
produced by levers acting like a knee joint; when
the joint becomes straight it gives a twist dewily
squeeze to the rivet, and brings the plates together,
only that the dies have to be set to suet the thickness
of the two plates which are being rivetted. ht thu
steam rivetting machine this adjustment is rendered
unnecessary, it simply consists of a cylinder a ith its
piston and piston rod; when steam is admitted at the
track of the piston, the piston-rod being forced thrward
the end of it comes into contact with the redhot rivet,
which has been inserted through a hole previously
made in the plates, the rivet is kept in its place at
the back ; the die fixed to the end of the piston rod
never stops till the plates arc effectually rivetted
together. It appears that by common rivetting
three men and one boy eau only rivet 20 three-
quarter inch rivets per hour; with this machine ono
man and three boys can rivet with perlect ease at
the rate of six per minute, or :3i' per hour.
Hamden and Saunders exhibit models of the ma-
chinery they have in use for 'parrying. we believe
it is the first successful adoption of machinery to
quarrying. The first model shows how saws are
driven, fiir the purpose of cutting the stone in its
natural beds. The machine has eight saws. which
in the original machine are 21 feet long. These lie
downwards at an angle across the bed of stone that
has to be cut, the saws act by their own weight, and
are worked up and down by cranks. The saws are
all independent of each other, so that if anything
happens to One saw it can stop without interfering
with the act' of the others. When the stone has
been thus cut across, it has to lie taken out by means
of wedges. The stone is then removed by a travers-
ing crane, which, as well as the saws, is worked by
steam. There is also a model of a portable balanoo
saw frame, for cutting blocks of stone alter having
been quarried. It is ingenious, but tad comarneted
on very scientific principles. We also saw a machino
for making bricks, which w(' hear is very effective.

We hu;'e already notieedNasO7yib's744l luonmer
used for heavy forging. Ryder exhibits his patent
fiorge for light work, and further illustrates the mro-
gress of machinery in the art of smithing. This
machine is used for forging, drawing down, and
swaying by steam power without the use of hammer
or anvil up to two inches round or square, it can only
be used for plain work. The mad • acts rapidly,
by small degrees, giving about 700 blows per minute.
It operates more kindly on the iron and steel than by
the usual method.
We may as well remark here that in the French
department, I krosne and Call exhibit some excellent
specimens of 'Urgings ; one, a locomotive wheel : the
other, the end of a locomotive tire-box. This, we be-
lieve, has been done by pressure. It is a thing well
worthy of notice, and tends to simplify the construc-
tion of those kind of boilers.

Ib,ltzaptli•l and Co. exhibit some of their machines
and took adapted to ornamental turning. specimens
of which are also exhibited. There is a lathe with a
new and rather complicated rest ; the chief peculia-
rity about it being, that it enables spheres to be
turned with greater precision than hitherto. There
arc also the geometnoil, eccentric, and oval chucks,
all of which will no doubt prove highly interesting
to amateurs.