Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-06
Notes on Science and Industry.

The ROYAL Society OF Belgium has pun
Uehed some additional facts In regard 10
the welding of metallic bodies by means
OF simple pressure at temperatures TAR
below their fusing point In these re-
searches the plan pursued was 10 put
the medals in the shape or cylinders
bounded by plain surfaces great care
being also taken a. TO their purity. ana,
having been mounted and welded together
bv means OF hand-screw. they were
placad In A heating oven and kept at a
constant temperature between 200 ana
90 degrees for from three 10 twelve hours.
The result. as detailed. shows, that the
most perfect joints were produced Win
gold lead. and tin. while the worst were
with bismuth ana anthony, two cylinders
thus welded together could b. put
I'm a lathe. one OF them only being held
In the chuck, while the other was being
worked upon by a cutting tool, without
coming apart. They could be separated
with the aid Of pincers, but then a roush
breakage was produced which did not CO.
incide with the original plane OF separa-
ton. II appeared. too. that the more
crystalline the bodies the less is the
phenomenon of incipient liquefaction ex-
hfbitad the commencement Of its appear
ance in the case OF platinum, FOR instance,
being * 500 degrees below its fusinS
point-that such a liquefaction or soften
ing actually took place being abundantly
proved by experiment.
Various experiments in glass manufac-
ture are reported in the French papers,
among these being an attractive descrlp-
ton If ornamental products. the process.
as viii be seen. being characterized by
extreme simplicity. The surface. as de-
scribed. is first ground either by the
sand-bast or the ordinary method. and
IS then covered with n sort or Varnlsni
on being dried, either in the sun or by
artificial heat. the varnish contracts
strongly taking with it the particles or
glass TO which II adheres, and as the
contraction takes place along definite
lines the pattern produced by the reno
val OF the particles OF glass resembles
very closely the branching crystals of
frost-work. The pattern may be varied
In character BY changing the thickness
OF the film Of varnlsh, a single coat giving
a small, delicate effect, while a thin film,
formed by putting on two. three or more
coats, contracts so strongly as 10 produce
a large and bold design; by using colored
glass pattern In half tint may be made
on the co.ored ground.
Some important advantages are claimed
FOR a newly-devised loOm-picker lately
brought forward. which consists of
light, malleable iron shell or frame, pos
sessing the strength and durability essen-
tial 10 this important feature OF weaving
machinery. The body being one rigid
piece Of metal there Is no tearing out
OF rivets around the eye. or bursting Of
the portion which slides along the spin
dies: the rawhiie bushing In the sleeves
cannot come loose. and IL wears very
slowly, and, on It's giving out can be
renewed al small cost and with slight
trouble-sO, too, with the cushion. With
each replacement Of any bit Of raw
hide one has a picker az good as new.
while under the old system single defect
necessitates the throwing aside the whole
picker The additional weight does not
exceed two ounces. too small TO percep-
tlbly affect the working Of the loom; and.
in order to secure lightness the eye OF
the picker II made much larger than II
required. and brliged with a rawhide
strip. copper riveted TO the metal.
The durability Of carpets Is now made
greater. IL is said. by the Introduction Of
metallic yarns IN the fabric, greater
strength being thus assured than by
the simple use Of yarns made from ami
NAL or vegetable tibres. the idea being
briefly. the foundation OF metal coat
ing on an Inferior surface. and weaving
the strands IN certain proportions. A
non-oX.diZable metal ~ employed. and
this is dissolved and applied 10 the surfaces
Of threads. rendering them like metal In
appearance and general characteristics; the
metallic composition IL said to consist
OF aluminium. boraX alum, litharge. and
wax. these combined with white lead AMI
one or TWO other substances. producing
4 metallic coating that Is as flexible and
soft as common paint would be. yet 10