The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-06

and thus leave the channel clear, by combination
of inclined planes"
Various devices have been resored to to improve the
hapoon used by whalers; and among others Hwas pro
posed some years ago, to enclose within na s ~
sci containing prussc acid. which on suhng would DC
diused thus kill the whale As an Improvement ON
this patent granted for putting bottle OF expio
ave |x.srs within the aaks 81 ls sr OF which ss
will open the hrke and explode the mixture"
In HYDRAULIC EsoMgERNG, the chief inventions
have been floating platforms for bridges, &c, hol-
low iron piles sunk by exhausting the air from
their interiors iron lighthouses on iron pies screw
mornings and M. Thenard's barrages mobiles, or
dams for shallow rivers, which can be removed at
will; and which scientific friend who examined the
system in Paris, thinks Of great value to the i'm
proyement OF our many rivers which are too shall
low for navigation during some months Of the year
The accidents that have occurred railroads BY
the switches guide the from track TO anoth
has, from the commencement occupied the serious ~
snon Of and Others without any decided oenen
mpcticable, would not prevent accidents not proper
y shifted by the attendant But an improvement which
presents decided advantages has been patented and iuiy
tested the Reading railroad II consists In the employ
parallel bars attached to- and moving with me
switch that when the switch has been shifted and put in
connection with the turnout rails they are IN line with me
rails Of the main track and in the event o. neglect on he
part the attendant to replace the SWITCH car from the
main track will run ON to these parallel bars when aio
their fixed end connected with the main track by means
OF inclined planes guides arranged to elevate the
aanch Of the wheels (which outside the track over the
rail- guide the whole ofhem to the line Of the track and
thus prevent the cars from running of" .
"As means of accidents from "snakc heads
the ends of rails thrown up out Of the proper me pa
guides TO the car front Of the wheels and between the
and back wheels which strike the snake heads and
force them down to their proper position until the whee
pass over them"
Metal roofs and fire proof ceilings have also been
improved and patented.
"Asa means of dispensing with the weight Of the saw
saw attached sliding block at top and bottom
and therefore depending upon its Stiffness instead ten
sne he advantages Of both methods patent has been
granted for stnnng the saw as is termed IN technical
to each slide; the two psons working in appropriate cylin
ders connected together by steam pipe SO as 10 use M
Of the steam impede the motion as it equal on
both pstons, and therefore balanced"
arranging tie head and tail blocks Of sawmls to render
sesetting The great variety of devices for this
pose which been patented and in public is
matter establishment and is evidence of the great
of mechanical ingenuity
Our corporation might proftably turn their at
tention to a new street-sweeping machine, patented
during the present year, and seemingly of much
merit. 1t consists of set of curved brooms,
that are moved around shaft horizontally, and
carry the dirt to side of the street. and then rise
up to deposit it in winrows The mechanism of
the moving parts is Ingenious and simple, and not
liable TO be deranged.
In plows, several important improvements have
been made during the year; but they are chiefly for
modes of fastening and fitting the points and
shares that, in of wear or injury, they can be
easily replaced by the farmer himself 1t is ques
ton, perhaps, yet to be decided, whether cast-ron
plows are more economical to the farmer than the
blows with cast-ron mould-boards and wrought
shares and points
romising Improvement has been made in the grain
cradle by making the teeth OF hollow metal filling them
up with sufficiently far TO insure strength The teeth
glide very easily through the grain and liable to the
objection of warping and sticking where the grain wet
us is the case with wooden teeth"
u al,
consists in the substitution of coating of silver for
an amalgam of tin and mercury in the preparation
Of looking glasses.
an the old process svering rather coating mir
amagam of tin and mercury Is laid upon the surface
clear plate glass; and this amalgam when freed from the
mercury by pressure constitutes the rejecting surface
The extensive of mercury in this operation renders it
extremely unheahy and the coating thus formed Is liable
be deaced by chemical changes is frequently witness
ed in the spots occurring the backs Of mirrors i is
contended that the invention obviaes these
The process for coating the glass with silver is substantial
~ as follows The glass is carefully cleaned laid upon
table, and Of wax, some suitable substance raised
around M borders solution Of silver then poured up
the glass slittle ammonia added and from time to time
little oil Of cassa and acohol after which, oil OF cloves
is added when precipitation commences and pure and
firm coating Of silver formed upon the glass which is a
ards carefully dried and protected from injury
INpIa. BIER great value Of caoutchouc
the has led to great variety of devices to
speedy mode Of dissoiyng and speedy mode Of driving
solution No solvent has been obtained better than
OF s e
the solvent precludes its introduction at present and tur
great difficulty has hitherto been experienced in drying
the rubber when turpenne the sovent but this
be entirely and Y The aid Of
the fabrics prepared OF are for wearing apparel
and the smell Of the sulphur which is retained for an in
definite time, is serious objection to their common
As subject of special interest and which has made
great advances during the past may cite the nyen
ton for manufacturing corrugated sirred India rubber
fabrics By this il understood that species Of goods
fabric which in extensive for suspsndes and all
IF tIA
The Invention mainly stretching threads India
rubber to hs, utmost tension or nearly So and enclosing
taste dictates the layers Of cloth made adhere
heavy ross 70
feet union AZ the fabric has become firm and dry
90 the c
gated yed goods The material thus prepared
and introduced in every part of wearing apparel"
Salcralts, so useful to the housekeeper, is usual
ly made from the superintendent carbonic acid gas
Of brewers and distllers As their business is hap
PLY on the decrease, the salt is now proposed to
be impregnated by the gas from common coal
fire.
Two patents have been lately granted for i'm
provements in sait-making, in both of which the
beauty and purity of the crystals increased by
heating the brine the surface instead of at the bot
tom Of the kettle as is usual.
In sugdr-making, valuable improvements have been
made in the economy Of fuel, in evapoating the
sirups, in graduating the sugar and in filtration
In the important lard business the separation Of
its proxmate constituents, viz elaine and stear
inc, Or in common phraseoogy, lard oil and candle
stuff which has been for several years an object of
pursuit, is now accomplished in very perfect man.
ner. The most valuable improvement, and one for
which patent has been granted, is the application
of pressure to the solid tissues containing fat before
they have been burned Cor, rather, overheated) in
the process Of trying out, it is called. The lard
and oil produced in this way are purer, sweeter,
haff thc
dered in large quantities.
Inaereotyping, the most striking improvement is
one made in Germany, and just announced in the
public prints--of making the stereotype blocks Of
iron, instead of the usual ype-metal If stereotype
plates be made of cast iron, stated, we must
hail the invention as one of the most valuable ofthe
age, it will reduce the price of books to very
little above the cost Of the material. It has been
stated that, by the means of the Improvement the
whole Bible has been printed for about Is cents.
The above items are the most important and in
terestng OF those embodied by Messrs. Keller and
cano OH tlo full ortOi