New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-08

"A col siderable number of machines have been im-
ported from the United States into Eogand, but tue
parties using them do rot wish the fact To be mace
public lest they should be sned for an lpfnnaemeht OF
the patent dated Dec |, 1916, granted to W. Thomas
Of London. This patent extends only to Engiand,
hence q large number Of Amencan-msde machines are
used in Scotland and Ireland. In England only one
kind If lock-stch machine II manufactured ana us
lowest price 10 en-. In Scotland or Ireland a lock-
stitch machine may be bought or imported from the
United States for Eli.
"These are facts certainly fer from gratifying to our
national pride Although the invention OF the lock-
stitch sewing machine ~ made 10 England by Fisher
and Gibbons the ORG nal patentees OF the sewing ma
chine tro years bto'e it was patented IN America ny
Elias Howe, r., yet now there are ten times more ma
chimes used in the United States than in Great Britain
Wby then has the progress of the sewing-machine
bee so slow in this country Chiefly tor two reasons
First, there has been 10 competition among manuiac
turers and secondly prices far higher in England
than in America
ATMOSPHERIC OR CALoRrc COMMISSIONING to
the many advantages possessed by atmospheric air
over water or steam an agent for the production Of
motive power, many endeavors have been made to
overcome the difficulties in its practical application.
These advantages are:
]. A never failing supply Of the material, in all
places and under all circumstances.
III. Perfect safety
III. Its specific heat being much less than that Of
w. Air after doing its work may be made 10 trans.
fer one-haf its heat to the cold air entering the
CINE, and thus be used over indefinitely, while
haust steam is only capable Of transmitting about
one-fth its heat to tie water supplying the boiler.
The practical difficulties in its use are,
First. A slight variation in the heat Of the furnace
is at once perceptible in the pc of the machine,
and a. an excess Of heat is liable TO nure the engine
the furnace requires constant and careful attention.
Second The difficulty Of preventing leakage is
much greater with air than with steam.
THIRD: TIE extreme heat required to produce any
considerable amount of power in light and sonpac:
machine This difficulty may be appreciated by
comparing il With steam. Steam at temperature OF
332 deg, gives pressure Of 100 lbs. to the square
inch, which is about the expansive force generally
used OF locomotive engines Air at this temperature
would give but about lbs, and az three-hfths its
power must be used to supply the engine with cold
air. il leaves effective force of only about lbs. to
the squsre inch which would require machine twen-
ty-fve times the size Of team engine, to do the
same work. This enormous weigh, and bulk would
greatly increase the area Of working surfaces and
consequently the friction and liability 10 Leakage.
The use Of this agent motive power is no new
discovery The inventive genius Of both Europe and
America Bad been taxed many years Deiofc tndt
grand but unphlosophical experiment of the calorc
ship Ericsson, and with the recorded experience of go
many previous failures, all practical men of science
were only astonished that such attempt should be
made without first overcoming the known difficulties
TO be encountered. The protector Of that enterprise
is nevertheless entitled to the credit Of indomtable
perseverance. Tenaciausly clinging 10 his hope of
final success he labor,d in the work until, becoming
convinced that such engines only be used where
very little power required, be has now produced
machine that j. undoubtedly superior to anything OF
the kind heretofore constructed.
Where one-half Of one horse power or less is re-
CURED, the air msy be used at low temperature,
and with steady FIRE; there is no obvious reason
why THE engine should work tolernby well. But
with knowledge Of the slight expansive force OF air
at moderate temperature, and other Disadvantages
enumerated above, it would be reasonable to eI-
pect 10 an invention by which a bushel of corn
can be put into quart measure, as that atmospheric
cir win srpersede the of steam az motive power.