New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-12
REVIEW OF PATENTS.

There were $40 patents granted during the month Of
December. From this large Pun Der, probably but q
small proportion be made ueefuly practicable and
even among those that have elements of utility
very few are sufficiently novel to interest the general
reader.
With few exceptions, tho as.onishipgly marvellous
inventions are in themselves useless YET unless pro-
duced as il sometimes the c,e, expressly for decep
ton they usually embodS philosophical points which
may be- and often are, used by other inventors as
stepping 10 practical aid useful discoveries For
this resfoD the OIL naiors of the cha which passes
through the Patent. Office often the means-though
they lose the credi'-of originating important and
valuable inventions. Nsham Wsshburn of Bridge
water Mas, patents an Improvement in Dental
Apparatus for Relief Of Pain" aich is simple and
convenient plan for applying electricity to the tooth
and jaw, through the instrument while operating;
whereby il ia alleged that the subject is relieved from
much OF the pain otherwise attending tooth extracting
and other dental operations. The inventor says:
II claim the combination Of dental forceps instrument FOR
op.,s upon sfh with ct , nfe1 I sub
eurut or currents may be made to o~ through the nerve or
IN 10 the came sui pender iseh more or
,s n'epsbe to pain during the performance of the dental
:" particularly claim the application of the electrical ap
peraiu to The dental instrument that ths latter may be in
form part Of the eireri as specified"
Thomas Is. Fogarty, OF charleston, 5. G., patents
an " improvement in Gas Meters" which consists in
attaching to the meter a separate reservoir Of
water from which the is Insured const ant sup
ply by means Of suitable automatic mechanics which
keeps the and exactly up the water ne thus effect
ing reliable and accurate measurement Of the gas.
Al gas consumers aware of the annoyance neces-
saIiiy occurring nom the constant evaporation in wet
meters, and should this invention be simple in
stracos, and reliable in action it viii not full to be
appreriated.
John +. Sterling Of San Francisco, CAL, patents On
Improvement ia Watch and other Keys" ~ fol-
lows
- claim article Of Manufacture, watch or door key
With hollow rem Or eos open at 9th y, end. 20 that any,
be pOnebed out through the open STEM a set ferh
This is one of those useful improvements the
simplicity If which makes wonder it
though, Of before. Inventors often surprised
find the essentials in intricate piece OF mechanism
reject. for want Of novelty, when they had felt
of being The orginators for the of their ntri
cay both in construction and design.
s. w. Chamberlain Of Three Oaks Mich, patents
All Improved Gate" This is a double gate, 40 con
nee,ed that neither part independent of the
other and in such way that they swing open in OPP
polite directions. The probable object of this inven
ton ia sountsraet the force of the wind as it will be
seen that whichever way il may blow, its force
wing of The gate would be exactly balanced by
the osber. For particularly bleak localities on FARMS
we should jodge it might be useful.
3 The accuracy with which our best watches keep
time is already astonishing, bat ma inaeeuracy Of
from five to ten minutes year is very unsatisfactory
10 inventive genius, II. %. lanes of Trenton, N j.,
alleges the following isproyeueut:
al claim controlling the active length fhe penduous or hair
spring OF watch other tmekneper governed BY balance
by Of combined sunE Of different metals applied
act the ond Of the spring which has been commonly fixed
hat by on increase dmnuon Of temperature the said
srrg csused 10 be taken let through the curb pins
their equivalents and tho expansion and
contraction of the said spring and the balance Substantially
deHcribedn