New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-07-14
MECHANICS GLIB.

ito lsst meeting for the eeasoa al the rooms Of the
American Ip-itute on Wednesday evening lsst. Mr. 8.
| ID. BAcxrs in tire Chair.
Judge MFios, the able and enthusiast. Secretary.
read extremely interesting selection of facts from
foreign journals relating 10 inventions and d.cov
srisP among which was more detailed account tasn
that already given IN The TRIBrsE, OF the new and
wonceI ful ee trlcal engine tor throwing shot impeog
| machinery. etc. The credit is given 10 Mr.. Andreg
Smith, aud long catalogue is given Of its capacities
for usefulness but leaving dark heretofore in
regard to the specific by which all this power IL
manufactured end controlled. Among its actual per
fomsnc,s hOw6ver-a species of record, by the way,
.or which We cherish high degree of reverence,
compared with mere essumption-was that OF throwing
20 carnon balls per mina.e; feat which would seem
to make il quite Objectionable neighbor when in
the hands Of 9 really earnest enemy.
Mr.. BREIsAoH continued his description of the wood
Gas invention. Gas from wood distilled 10 Petten-
koffers apparatus was not only equally permanent
account of the perfect union of the carbon with the
hydrJ gen, and more valuable on account OF its
tanIng sulphur, and consequently inducing no head
ache but was proeNced economically 10 quantities
nearly or quite equal to that from coal, pound for
pound We failed to learn with any considerable
curacy the final cost of the pro1uc account partly
of the great difference in the character of woods, all
kinds Of which can be used without difficulty, but
unde stOod that in general 900 lbs. about cord
OF hard wood produced from 1000 to 10000 feet Of
gas, about equal to that from tun of good camel
coal while the full ginal value of the wood would
be retained in the charcoal which is of very superior
quality in addition to which is produced, incidentally
a large quantity Of pyroigneous acid, from Which,
desired ye superior acetic acid or vinegar can be
manufactured. Altogether he made out good case
for wood gas and it wout appear to be deserving of
attention in ohes quarters than the solitary
Philadelphia, which is now said to be adopting 1t.
Mr.. VIZ. Ii. AKIss Of Speedsvile this State, exab-
tied veiy admirable specimen OF a lock, just pat
er,ed and which covers the sum Of IL 900 in the
readng.room Of Lov.joys Hotel said sum being the
lawful prize of any one who shall withdraw the oolt.
II was o-sected before tie audience and appears to
be species of combination lock- or one IN which the
whole secret consists in rightly arranging certain
di.cs by means of q dial or diss outside. No
KEY is employed, unless such name be given
to q simple square stump, inserted to obtain
better hold the parts, and instead of a usual with
locks of this class presenting several dals outside to
be set in certain different positions, corresponding TO
numbers treasured in the memory OF the owner only
one or two dias shown, which, by being turned
alternately backward and forward to certain e1tents,
pd ecty arrange the poeHon Of several sets of discs
inside An admirably simple yet eihcent means Is
adopted to prevent the possibility Of pckng by feeling
lock is made susceptible of some billions of changes,
40 az 10 be made substantially new and different
lock every day, if desired Although evidently very
cheapy made lock- there would appear to exist but
ali chance for profitable investment OF tune In the
picking operation proposed, and its powder,proof
securenoss must be undOubted there being absolutely
no ope ing from the outside to the interior OF the lock
in any possible position. ~
III.
fulsized working specimen Of Wrghts folding
machine for packing woven goods. The common
method of folding by hand il in this invention sup
planted by understanding Frame supporting
curved top whict the cloth folded very rap
idly and with perfect accuracy, BY the AID OF cross
piece attached to levers, pre- ectng upward from
shaft below. The cloth is held at each end by pscu
liar species of clamp, which holds tightly all gets,
and receives each new told of cloth readily as
short boy" takes an appointment in the custom
house. The machine is very beautiful in the accuracy
and perfection of its working, and will we presume be
extensively used all the varieties of our large coth
manufactures. We should presume that the goods
would be Int assured in this way with considerably
gre alter accuracy than with the old process of stretch
ing by hand between hooks. 1t Is one OF tue
steps by which machinery Is continually supersedihg
the imperfect results Of mere hand-l4bor ard driving
the abOrer to The Lecessy Of cutvdtlng has mental
faculties, to avoid being completely run over.
On tie regular subject of boilers, which had been
assigned for this evening, Mr. JAMES MoSTGoMfRr,
II inventor Of tho Montgomery patent boiler, PROM
ICED what il would seem must prove an interesting
PAPER iul tiated by models ana large diagrams, ot
The first meeting of the Club in September BENG
urged to speak, without preparation ie gave Dhef
Listory Of boilers sktebosng back to the Gays wDen
John Fitch boxed down panks form strong ste ih-
tight cover on common potash kettle The first oi-
pruyement wac the hong plain cylinder boiler nov
in common use for iatolies; the next the ret9ra-
hued" BOW common the Western river boats then
the "fle.box" boiler, used on our liver ana ocean
steamers with the fire entirely nclosed within the shell
Of the boiler and requirtg 10 brickwok the next the
locomotive boiler, beng the came, with many snai
tuber instead Of lew large iues-an invention by
the way which be ascribed to John Fitch, as Amerl-
con, about the year 1880, instead of to either the
Napierr of Er gland the ilustrOus Frenchnen who
hao claimed its discovery at much later date no.
ever the ally first ntOr, it plain that but for
the grea. demard for very light and efficient 6oer,
induced by the iLcreae of railroads about the year
$780, the law. ntioa would probably have been Long
sitce abandoned AS impractcaeo, wh.l' IS nov, Oh
the contrary, universally employed on raroads
wherever tracks are laid, and to great extent on
steamers and in factories.
The {" Cornish boiler was considered too cunlber.
Gus for general use aud no more than many
cheaper and moro compact species. The wagon top
and other almost obsolete varieties were briefly anu
correctly alluded to- and many valuable but well known
facts in regard TO the fosInng or pfimnS OF boilers,
the high steam carried IN racing on Western rivers,
etc were received with marked interest by the audi
ence The remarks were not continuous, but inter-
spersed by various shOt suggestions and criticisms by
he members, some OF which We have engrated IN
this hasty sketch. The credit due to Nh NJ 5 effort
was considerably marred by is paraking in too high
degree of what mechanical lectures generally lack
!. p variations of personal experiences. There was
also bad taste in dragging private business quarrel
before an association for mutual Improvement ana
lsck-probably from deicacy which m'ght nave
been tar better displayed on the other points duy
description of his own Inventions, although the won-
derfu nature Of several was freely presented Some
y,ry well timed observations made on the quail
ties of iron and methods OF asngeing in fredericksburg
and on the great need still remaining Oi improvements
in insurDg the proper amount OF water etc. ana IN
ascertainpy the exact condition of boiler in regard
10 corrosion. "Short fon which would not bend
ell TO Join hanges was the best able to resist the
action of acios and should always be used for boilers
employ ed in sugar-mils, whoe the water Is scarce
and liable to become strongly affected by tue acl1eu
Juices Of the cane. He recommended making Gil the
angles IN such by rvetisg to angle iron instead
of bendiI 2 the sheets.