New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-23
INVENTIONS And DISCOVERIES

The act Of Congress which authorized the issuing Of
patents for designs has acted powerfully in developing
high standard of artistic talent in this country. De-
signs for purposes both useful and ornamental are now
patented in large numbers annually. The protection
continues for only seven years but then the patent fee
s only onehaf The practical tendencies Of the Amer
lean mind are shown in the of designs for obe"
Of utility over those of purely ornan''-
In no branch of busr"--
messed " =, ~ IRE
regular shop for producing ornamental patterns for
stoves was established at Troy, n. Y, and now
poys some thirty hands. II is to this shop that many
of Us are indebted for those beautiful shapes which
both warm and grace our parlors, while even the
kitchen has not been overlooked The founders through
ont the Union resort TO this establishment for Their
patterns But it has long since found itself unable to
supply the prodgious demand which an immense in
crease in the stove business has excited Similar pat
tern-shops now established at numerous other
places; and as the art of producing fine castings is
gradually advancing to the perfection of those made at
Berlin, so the patterns booming more exqustely
beautiful. At Philadelphia there are several large
patern-shops, where designing and carving are admir-
ably done. Iron has become SO extensively used in
ornamental architecture, furniture, machinery, &C.,
10 create permanent demand for elegant designs.
Muttudes Of these designs are patented, especially of
ornamental stoves The same may be said of prints of
all kinds, wall paper, fancy types, &c. The artist who
produces popular design for the calico printer is
protected from the piratica inroads of rival manuac,
turers and sell the de sign for fair price. Many
educated females derive q handsome living in conse
quence Of this protection, while it stimulates the public
taste, and urges forward in generous rivalry after
perfection.
ELECTRoTyPE AND GALvASoPLAsTIE.-Untl within
few years past the art of coating metal with
other was limited to covering thin iron plates with tin.
As the demand for these timed plates increased, espe
caly for roofing and the price of tin rose, lead
substituted as coating, and "leaied tin is now inn
ported in large quantities. American enterprise has
never yet mastered the business of manufacturing these
timed plates and the English still hold the supply of
this country in their exclusive CONTROL exacting from
us whatever price they choose TO demand. To this
succeeded what is called gavanizing; that is coating
iron with zinc-a purely mechanical process in which
galvanism acts no part, as the article coated simply
required to be made chemically clean and then plunged
into zine BATH when the active affinity Of the zinc for
the iron renders the coating the work of an instant.
Hence the term "galvanizing,' as applied to this
process is misnomer. But it is one of the most valu-
able of the simpler discoveries known to the arts
Iron thus coated is indesructible from rust 1t is
cheap process and is becoming extensively employed
in this country. After this, chemistry developed the
splendid process of electrotypng, which consists of
coating one metal with another by means of the gal
vanic battery, instead of using melted metal. This
great discovery soon ran all the civilized world
and was Immediately applied to multitude of pur-
poses both useful and ornamental. To America was
Al, To ba focip Of
ng.types with coating of "copper" thus enabling them
to give off better and clearer impression than from
the ordinary type metal, and doubling their ability to
bear the destructive grinding OF the modern cylinder
printing machine As all art is progressive, it will be
surprise to hear that the idea of coating one metal
with another has led to the discovery of process of
coating wood with metal. This is done in Europe,
and the process is called Calvanopaste, and galvan-
ism is the agent employed BY this art, one substance
made to adhere to another until the union is ndisso
ube. Thus, any light and hard substance, such as
wood may be covered with gold silver or bronze, for
furniture, ornaments, &C. Silver and bronze table
services, and even ewelry, beautifully and ar
tistcay worked to deceive the most practiced eye
and are at the same time comparatively cheap. Mo-
saics are incrused with marble with skill equaing
the works of ancient masters and the labor OF years Is
thus saved for the process of gavanism is as speedy
as it is perfect. Galvanopase has already produced
exquisite agd marvellous specimens of its capacity for
high art.
MACHINE FOR OPENING OYsTERs-Such machine
has never been constructed To look at pile OF oys.
ters apparently of different shapes and sizes, one is
apt TO conclude that such machine is impossible; but
no such word appears in the dictionaries of American
inventors. 1t may be in other dictionaries, but 1t is
not in theirs. Let US examine this pile of oysters
critically 1t will be that though they appear of
different shapes they all shaped alike. In feet,
there is an exact conformity in that respec; the only
real difference is in their SIZE being larger than
others according to their age. But though this in
equality Of size may prevent their being placed in
machine less fe xible than the human hand yet it is
quite possible TO classify or assert them into different
lots all of nearly equal SIZE and by adjustments OF the
machine these varying Sizes compel Ii the end to
accommodate them all. Ii is not intended, however,
in this article to invent the machine, but only to sug-
gest to others some ideas on the subject Processe
infinitely more difficult and complex are executed every
day in many branches Of manufacture than the open
ing Of ali oyster by machinery. AS the men whe
catch and open them are not given to mechanical con
tryances the improvement OF their several processc
must be effected by others. Conchologists attach
great importance to the characters dervabe from the
hinge of the bivalve, especially for the purpose OF
generic distinctions. The two shells or valves are held
together by dense elastic fiber called the ligament.
This ieament is always long as TO prevent the
actual closing of the valves except when its elasticity
If overcome by certain force, as by the voluntary
contraction of the adductor muscle. Hence, oysters,
when at rest and undisturbed, mostly have their
mouths partly open. To divide this Ggament skilfuy
and quickly, is the great art of the FISHERMAN. Once
severed, the shells are easily parted Now a
machine is wanted TO do this work or at