New-York daily tribune., 1845-04-22
THE TRIBUNE.
RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE USEFUL ARTS,
PATENTED IN TIE L. S.

tents" we have already extracted portion Of tn
Introductory report of It's jealous and indefatigab
anlbor, Hon. Ii. L. ELLSWORTH, and we now pro
cecd 10 lay before our readers an abstract of SOM
Of the most important and interesting improve
ynents in the Useful Arts, made during the past year
as we find them brought together in the appended
reports Of Messrs c. NJ. KELLER and G. c. PAGE
Examiners in the Arts We propose on future
occasion to condense the valuable Agricultural in
formation contained in the main body Of the Re
port.
In METAILURGY new apparatus Tor washing
gold from its impurities has been introduced, sub
jecting II 10 both horizontal and vertical current
of water, by means OF series OF sieves ia water
tank. The much more important metal Of iron has
had lis smelling facilitated by using its escaping
gases, mixed wirh air, as fuel. In this way all
the gases, instead Of escaping as heretofore, are
consumed in the immediate neighborhood of the
iron where the heat is required, and the oxygen OF
the atmospheric air is not permitted to act injuri-
ousy upon the iron whilst heating it. A patent has
also been granted for the manufacture Of mallssble
iron directly from the ore.
"a variety Of simple and compound substances
have heretofore been mixed with iron in the melted
state, with the view of more efiectuay separating
the impurities and producing more highly refined
metal and as n modification OF these processes,
another patent has lately been granted for mixing
with the melted iron, the process OF pudding,
compound OF sulphur and nitrate with borax, so.
da, or potash and alum, broken IN small Jumps, and
introduced below the surface of the melted iron !;
the proportions TO be varied, the IRON Is intended
for the manufacture OF steel"
new application of electricity, an element with
which we are SO rapidly becoming so familiar, has
of H..
rericn consists in subecting the iron whilst in d
fluid state and also whilst in the act Of congeang
or solidifying, which is caused TO traverse as COM
pcteiy as possible throughout the entire metallic
mass The full specification IS given in the Re-
pert.
On Steel, Mr.. Keller makes suggestions worthy OF
attention. He says:
"Iu the manufacture OF steel, which has thus far
made very little progress on this side the Atlantic,
but little has been done by our counirymen; and |
fear that the prevalent idea current IN England as
well as this couutry-hat the best qualities OF steel
can only be made from Swedish iron-tends in a
great TO retard enterprise, and consequently
Improvements in this branch of metallurgy. II IL
difficult to comprehend why notion, unssstalned
by sound reason, should have attained so much pre-
valence as this. Science clearly indicates that TO
obtain the best quality Of STEEL requires iron In IFS
purest state ana obtain this latter. requires skill
aud experence-thcsc being the only lnpedlments
tothe manufacture Of good STEEL and possessed, as
We are, Of nearly every variety OF iron, no good
reason can be assigned why we should not success
fully overcome this prejudice"
In the working OF blacksmith forges. the &C
cumulaton of cinder is matter OF much incon-
venience, particularly where large masses OF iron
ore worked The accumulation OF cinder has fre
euen,y 10 be removed, which not only consume:
much,ime. bu, dlsturbs the FIRE. "Toavold this In
convenience an improve ment has been patented
which consists simply In making the hearth OF tlt
forge TO slide up and down in a sink or WELL so tha
at every fresh charge OF coal the hearth descend'
n short distance with the cinder on II; and when
the earth reaches the bottom OF the sink or well
the whole of The cinder is renewed through hole
Ia the bottom, aud the hearth Is forced up 10 the
topic recommence.
The forging Of hackamiis,' anril,, the r,veting Of
boiler ridtes, the making butt.hinge, of cast OF
wrought iron, naii-maehine,, &c. have also been
subjects of patented improvements.
In the department, OF FIpRous AND TExTrLE SUB
STANCES, improvements have been made IN Cotton
gns, IN rrooi-co,nbing and in cleaning the cards.
The important work of preparing the tbres OF htnp
particularly in the West, seems 10 labor under man,
disadvantages in the ignorance of the inventors
who rediscover old processes Mr.. Keller suggests
from the Patent Office.
In Eusland, processes have been patented To-
rendering Cotton fabrics repellant TO water; anc
for coating cloths, leather, &c. with metal, by gal
vanic meanx. The specifications are given in The
Report.
A machine lately patented for making Tu,ca,
BRAID, for ingenuity and beauty OF mechanical ar
rausrment is worthy Of the highest commentator
After the pieces of straw have been deposited in
box, the whole operation of taking each separat,
piece, introducing, bending II over, trimming OF
the surplus and transferring and retransieulnS ih'
pncers or nppers by which the piecesare held, ant
the completed braid delivered, is carried on viii
the most beautiful regularity, without the hand o
an attendant,
In the depa. .nent of STEAM BousRs and Fur
NAcEs, i' the patents lately granted indicate ,h'
spread of science for We find that the conuivance
are made with view to NEE, the demands pointed
out by ph,losophic Investigations; they are TO
modes of regulating the admission of atmosphere
air, to comuingle and combine with the case:
evolved from the Goals on the crate, aud 10 evolve
the greatest amount OF ealoric in such parts OF The
aues as will heat the larges; surface for regulating
the admission of air TO the Goals the grate-barS
and 10 regulate the quantity to be supplied to the de-
mands of the Goals; for either more or les, thar
the exact sum is injurious"
I! AS the hight and condition of water in steam
boilers are of the first importance as question G
sSi.ty, anv reasonable suggestion on th!s sublec
mus be interesting 10 the public al large, and par
ncularly SO 10 those who construct and manage
Seaat.eGgineS. The employment OF separate Q
auxiliary engine 10 work the feed,pumps, and So
eonaecI with a foa, within The boiler as 10 star
ths engine when the wafer reaches the lower wa
sF hne, was patented some ysars since; and within
!ae rasi year, Improvements have been made OF
nus psn and patented, which consist IN so aTranS
ing The Valves TO insure the starting of the engine
@aen the steam is admitted, by the sinking OF th'
noa wuheg cclerence 10 the position OF the piston
sn 'he cylinder; and also for The arrangement o
Ih44sace-vayes in conneaion with the float, so tha
M me nsrssure Of the steam shall not act te pseven
sae host ttom descending with the level of ,he
IN NAVIGATION, ',he only improvement, con
GectSQ with shin h,,Il,,- a..