beyond the other when more surface is required; and the second, by causing the paddle-arms through the medium of cams fixed upon them, and acting on projections fixed on the side of the vessel, to turn so that their broad surfaces may in succession be made to act on the water, when completely immersed in it, or during about one-sixth part of their revolution.

PROPELLING VESSELS.-Archibald Robertson, of Liverpool, shipcarver, has taken out a patent for "certain improvements in the construction of paddles, for propelling ships, boats, or vessels on water," which consists in placing the floats or vanes on the paddlewheels, so that they may make, with the plane in which the wheel turns, an angle, varying from forty to seventy degrees, according to the extent of paddle surface required; but he prefers, under ordinary circumstances, to place them at an angle of forty-five degrees. The exterior edge of the vanes slope back or towards the stern of the vessel on each side, and thus, though they act upon the water obliquely, the oblique action of the one will counteract that of the other, and their united tendency will be to propel the vessel right a-head. The patentee considers that the oblique position of the vanes will obviate the inconvenience and waste of power arising from the violent action of paddles of the usual construction, while entering and leaving the water.

Mr. Robertson likewise claims, in his specification, an improved method of raising and lowering at pleasure, the paddle-wheels in the water, which he proposes to accomplish by attaching them to frames, whose ends rest os centres coincident with the centre of the main shaft from the steam-engine or other moving power; and their other ends are supported by chains passing over pulleys, and supported by counterpoises, so that the paddle-wheels, which are turned by spur-wheels fixed on the main axis, taking into similar spur-wheels fixed on their own axis, may be raised or lowered with any power sufficient to overcome the friction.

PROPELLING VESSELS.-Francis Neale, of Gloucester, barristerat-law, has just specified his patent for "a machine, apparatus, or combination of machinery for propelling vessels," which consists in the application of hinged paddles attached to a reciprocating frame,. so as to fold upwards, or assume a horizontal position when moving forwards, and fold down or assume a vertical position, by which their flat surfaces act upon the the water when moving backwards. The frame is made to traverse by a crank, acting upon a system of levers, similar to that system called the lazy tongs, with the addition of stays,

on the principle of the radius rods of the series of levers used to produce parallel motion in the pistons of steam-engines.

IRON ROOFS.-Henry Robinson Palmer, of the London Docks, engineer, has obtained a patent for "a certain improvement or improvements in the construction of warehouses, sheds, and other buildings, intended for the protection of property," which consists in the application of iron plates riveted together, and strengthened by being fluted or bent, so that the roof, when completed, will have the appearance of the common pantile roofs. The intention of the bending of the plates is to give the roof, which is to be elevated in the centre in the usual way, sufficient strength to maintain its position without the introduction of rafters; and hence the patentee obtains a roof, which is at once light, economical, and well suited to the purposes proposed.

ROTATORY STEAM-ENGINE.-Thomas Smith, of Derby, engineer. has patented" an improved piece of machinery, which being combined with parts of the steam-engine, or otlier engines, such as pumps, fire-engines, water-wheels, air-pumps, condensers, and blowing engines, will effect an improvement in each of them respectively." A singular title affixed by Mr. Thomas Smith to his invention, which is an engine of the rotatory kind, capable of being converted at pleasure into a steam engine or a pump. This engine, which displays much ingenuity, differs from all other rotatory engines in its having no fixed fulcrum for the steam to act against; but it has two vanes or pistons turning upon axes, whose centres of motion are coincident with each other, and with the axis of the cylinder into which they fit steam-tight. The axes of these two vanes or pistons are connected by a train of eccentric toothed wheels, which cause them to revolve with different velocities, so that the pressure of steam between the vanes within the cylinder which causes them to separate, causes them at the same time to move, though with different velocities, for no separation of the vanes can take place with their moving, and having got to that position when the vane which was moving quickest, passes the eduction pipe, and the one which was moving slowest passes the supply pipe, situated about one-sixth of the circumference of the cylinder from the eduction pipe, the position of the wheel-work is so far changed, that the first vane then moves slowly, and the second quickly and thus a continuous rotatory motion is produced, which may be applied to give motion to machinery, or in pumping water, if motion be communicated to the apparatus, and the supply pipe made to communicate with the water to be raised.

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PATENT APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING OF STEAM ENGINE AND OTHER FURNACES.

By JOHN STANLEY, of Back Watling Street, Manchester: (being a conclusion of the subject “ On I urnaces which consume their own Smoke”.Continued from p. 362 of the preceding volume.)

Ir affords us much satisfaction to be enabled to conclude the series of articles mentioned above, by introducing to the notice of our readers a recently patented invention, which is eminently calculated for lessening the inconvenience arising from dense black smoke, and at the same time of economising to a great extent the consumption of fuel. It is true, that the majority of inventions contrived for this purpose have been stated to possess similar properties; but the merits of Mr. Stanley's apparatus do not rest upon mere profession-they have been proved in numerous instances on the large scale to the perfect satisfaction of the proprietors. We have had an opportunity of observing and investigating its application, to a large engine at the South Lambeth Water-Works, to which two 40-horse boilers are provided. Previously to the adoption of Mr. Stanley's apparatus, it was found necessary to work both these boilers at once, in order to furnish sufficient steam to do the work, and the labour of the fireman was excessive in feeding the furnaces by hand. Now, the feeding of the same boilers is performed without manual intervention, and the effect of the fire thus mechanically supplied is so much greater than before, that only one of the boilers instead of both is found fully adequate to supply the steam. The quantity of fuel used is besides so nicely regulated by the engine itself, that the instant there arises an excess of steam in the boiler the feeding apparatus ceases to work, by being thrown out of gear, and immediately the steam falls below the required pressure, the falling of the mercury puts the machinery into gear again, and the feeding recommences. The large coals are broken by the apparatus to a small size, so that ignition takes place the instant they are thrown upon the live fuel, and being constantly distributed over the whole surface of the grate, the combustion throughout is so perfect, that scarcely any smoke escapes undecomposed. Of this fact any person may easily satisfy himself by noticing the chimney of the works in question, from whence is seen uniformly issuing only a light grey vapour, containing not so much carbonaceous matter as is commonly given off from a kitchen fire. Thus are the public benefitted by the annihilation of a nuisance, and the proprietors of the apparatus derive the advantage of considerable saving in expenditure for fuel. We cannot venture to repeat what

was told us with respect to the latter point: suffice it to state, that we were informed that the patentee guarantees that the quantity of fuel required to produce a given effect shall be twenty-one per cent. less by his mechanical mode of feeding than when performed by hand.

The cost of the apparatus is very trifling when compared to Brunton's Revolving Grate; it is far more convenient and compact, and does not require a supplementary boiler. Stanley's is applicable to any ordinary furnace; it is fixed in front, forming a convenient appendage, and a very neat and handsome finish to the structure. Such are the facilities for fixing, that we were told by Mr. Thomas Thomas, the engineer, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, (who is the manufacturer and patentee's agent for London,) that he would undertake to fix the apparatus even to a 100-horse engine between Saturday night and the succeeding Monday morning, so that not a minute should be lost by the stopping of the work during the usual hours of business. We may also remark, that in an engine having only one boiler, the furnace of which is supplied by this apparatus, any repairs can be made to the latter without stopping the work, as the furnaces can during that operation be fed by hand through the fire-door as usual There is, however, so little liability to derangement in this feeding apparatus, that the patentee undertakes to keep it in repair for about. two per cent. per annumn; and with respect to the wear of the boiler and furnace, we were informed by the engineer, at the water-works before mentioned, that they would last full double the usual time. A little reflection upon the effect of the frequent changes of temperature occasioned by the opening of the fire-door, and the poking and scraping with the stoker's iron tools, would lead us, independently of any statement of the kind, to the same conclusion. It is scarcely necessary to add, after the foregoing observations, that this apparatus will keep the steam uniformly at any required density.

Fig. 8, Plate II., represents a front elevation of one of the boilers before mentioned with the patent apparatus applied, and likewise a portion of the second, the whole of the latter not being brought into view on account of its similarity to the other. Fig. 9 represents a side view of a part of the boiler, and a longitudinal section of the furnace and feeding apparatus, the scale of feet between these figures giving the dimensions of the parts. The letters of reference in each of the figures indicate similar parts.

a a are the boilers; b b the brickwork and flues surrounding them; cccc are plates of cast-iron pannelled, and forming a handsome front to the apparatus whereto all the apparatus is fixed, so that it can be easily attached to any boiler; ffis the hopper, con

taining sufficient coals for an hour or two's consumption; at ee arc grooved rollers for breaking the coals as they fall between them from the hopper above; they are put in motion by straps from the engine embracing the pulleys g hik, and the revolution of the shaft of the pulleys hi actuates some small gear which cause two fanners to revolve with rapidity over two circular iron plates which project the coals over the grate; only one of these fanners is necessarily shown in the section at 7, but the situation of both is indicated in the front elevation by the two letters ; nn is the fire-door; o the fire; p the ash-pit, which is provided with a ventilating plate q to regulate the admission of air whenever desirable; rr are doors covering openings into the side flues.

PATENT FILTERING MACHINE.

By R. Wiss and Co., of Fleet Street.

We have a letter before us, signed "A COUNTRY FARMER," expressing a desire to see a description of the above invention in the Register, as he conceives it to possess the extraordinary powers which are set forth in the printed prospectus issued by the patentees. This little apparatus, which occupies something less than a cubic foot of space, our correspondent repeats, will filter 2000 gallons of water per day, and therefore" will become a most useful article in those farms which have ditch and pond water, full of frogs, toads, efts, spine-worms, spawn that breed the hair-worm in calves' lungs, in the disorder called the fan fog; also, in preventing the red water in cattle, which is occasioned by their drinking water containing small animalcules, bred from the weeds in those ditches and foul waters, &c. &c.," and, consequently, that "by using this machine a great many beasts might be brought to market that are now lost by drinking impure water." The writer concludes his epistle, by informing us that he has purchased one of Mr. Brown's filterers, owing to its having been described in favourable terms in an early number of the Register, which he finds to answer his purpose well; but, as Wiss's machine will filter such a vastly greater quantity, he is anxious that the public and the cattle should derive all the benefit, and the republics of frogs, toads, efts, &c., should receive all the injury which the " Royal Patent Mechanical Filterer" can inflict.

As believers in transubstantiation, we are not a little apprehensive in introducing this machine to our readers; but here it is represented in the subjoined cut.