opens a communication between the two parts d, & d,* of the back.

Cold air is brought from the outside of the house by means of a pipe g, and is introduced into the hollow sides and back, at any convenient point, as seen in fig. 1. The cold air rushes into the chamber d, formed by the hollow sides and back, and rising up, as it becomes rarified by the heat of the fire, passes through the hole ƒ, in the partition, into the other chamber d*; and from thence, after circulating in this chamber, escapes through the exit pipe h, into the room. Or the air, circulating through the hollow side and back of the grate, instead of passing through the hole f, into the other chamber d,* rises up and proceeds through the bent pipe i, (see figs. 2 and 3,) and circulates through the pipes j, j, j, above. Whilst passing through these pipes, as shewn by arrows, the air becomes warmed by the smoke and heated vapour, which ascends between the pipes, as shewn by the arrows in fig. 3, and finally passes down the pipe k, into the chamber d,* from whence it escapes into the room by the exit pipe h, as in the arrangement before described.

The system of pipes j, j, j, is made capable of turning on centres, formed by the bent pipes i, and k, in order that, when the chimney requires cleaning, they may be thrown back, as shewn by dots in fig. 3, and the throat of the chimney thereby opened. The heat of the room is governed by a mercurial regulator, acting upon a valve, in the ordinary manner.

In fig. 5, these improvements are adapted to a grate for burning anthracite coal. In this arrangement, the system of pipes j, j, j, is dispensed with, and the hollow back, hearth, and sides, only used.

The draft, to support combustion, passes directly through the fire, and back through an oblong hole m, made in the

plate of the grate. A pipe l, l, which serves as the chimney, is fastened by a flange to the back part of the grate. This pipe passes up through the hollow back, and thereby warms the air contained therein.

The draft through the fire is regulated by a damper n, which may, if thought desirable, extinguish the fire. A flat plate o, which turns on a hinge p, prevents any of the heat, given out by the fire, from ascending up the chimney. This plate may however be thrown back, and the grate used as a common fire-place, with ordinary coal, if required.

Figs. 6 and 7, represent the last described improvement, viz., grates for burning anthracite coal, as applied to a kitchen range. Fig. 6, is a plan view, and fig. 7, a vertical section of a kitchen range, constructed according to my improvements. q, q, is the oven, and r, r, the boiler for boiling water, situated at the side and back of the fire; s, is the lid or cover of the boiler, and t, the cock or tap for drawing the water from it. The flue 1, 1, passes through the boiler, and thereby warms the water contained therein.

The patentee states, "It will not be necessary for me to describe this arrangement more minutely, as it so clearly resembles the construction shewn in fig. 5."-[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, July 23rd, 1840.] Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Berry.

TO JOHN LEO NICOLAS, of the parish of Clifton, in the city and county of Bristol, gentleman, for certain improvements in the method of constructing and propelling carriages on railways or common roads, and through fields, for agricultural purposes.-[Sealed 1st January, 1840.]

THESE improvements, in constructing and propelling carriages, may be divided into three parts or heads.

The first part of the invention consists of a novel apparatus or arrangement of levers, hereafter described, to be applied or attached to a locomotive engine or carriage, under certain circumstances, by means whereof I am enabled to propel the said engine or carriage in certain situations, where the usual driving wheels would be found partly or wholly ineffectual; such as up very steep acclivities, over newly made roads, or ploughed lands, and through fields, whose surface is uneven and is always slippery in wet

weather.

The object of the apparatus is to get a firm hold upon the ground, so that the carriage may be propelled, and that the driving machinery may have a firm fulcrum whereon its force may be exerted, in order to effect such propulsion. The apparatus to be applied to carriages for effecting this object, is shewn at fig. 1, Plate IV. a, a, is part of the framing of the carriage; b, is a shaft mounted in suitable bearings made in the framing; upon this shaft are mounted any convenient number of circular discs c, c; in each of the spaces between these discs, and upon the shaft b, are mounted three arms d, d, d, which are secured to the shaft b, and

discs c, c, in any convenient manner. A shaft e, e, mounted

in bearings, attached to the frame-work, carries a number of vibrating levers ƒ, ƒ; one end of these levers is weighted, as at g, g, for the purpose of raising up the other end when required; and at the reverse end of the levers f,f, pendant levers h, h, are attached by joints i, i; at the lower end of these pendant levers a foot or shoe j, j, is attached by a joint; the under side of this shoe is grooved or otherwise roughened, in order that it may have a firm hold upon the ground.

Rotary motion is communicated to the discs c, c, and shaft b, by means of a toothed wheel k, k, which is mounted on the said shaft, and is actuated by suitable gearing in con

nection with the engine, but not shewn in the drawing. It will be seen, as rotary motion is communicated to the shaft b, through the medium of the toothed wheel k, k, the ends of the arms d, d, will be brought into contact with the ends of the vibrating levers f, f, and will thereby depress the pendant levers h, h, causing them to press against the surface of the ground. As the shaft b, continues to revolve, the arm d, which has depressed the pendant lever into the position shewn at 2, will escape from contact, and the pendant lever will be brought, by means of the weighted end of the lever f, into its original position.

The second part of this invention, used in conjunction with the before described apparatus, is intended to apply only in marshy and boggy situations, where wheels would sink into the soil and could not be propelled.—It consists of a number of boards with raised sides, having their upper surface roughened, for the purpose of giving the feet or shoes of the pendant arms, before described, a good hold, in order that the carriage may be propelled.-These boards, after being used for supporting the pendant levers, are raised from the ground by a peculiarly shaped compound lever, and are carried forwards to the front part of the machine by means of a travelling endless cloth, furnished with hooks, and passed over rollers, one of which is situate at the front part and the other at the back part of the machine. The boards, brought forward in this manner, are to be lowered in front of the carriage, by means of a compound lever, similar to the one employed for raising them from the ground. At the time that the lower ends of the pendant levers are acting against any particular board, the running wheels of the carriage are passing over that board, which is thereby prevented from slipping away.

The third and last part of the invention consists in an improved construction of rotary engine, to be worked by steam, air, gas, or other fluid.

The engine consists of two cylinders, a fixed or outer cylinder, and a smaller cylinder inside the large one; the external surface of the smaller being concentric with the internal surface of the larger, and revolving within it. Fig. 2, is an elevation of the improved engine; fig. 3, is a transverse section; fig. 4, is a sectional plan view, shewing the situation of the smaller cylinder within the larger one. The main shaft a, of the engine, passes through the centre of the smaller cylinder, and is attached thereto by means of radial arms. By this arrangement of the cylinders an annular space is formed, which is divided into two parts by steam-stops or sliders. The piston b, is fastened on to the external surface of the small cylinder, and revolves with it; c, c, are moveable steam-stops or sliders which have an alternating action, hereafter described.

Steam is admitted into the annular space through the induction pipe d, which conducts it first into two valveboxes e, f, which are furnished with valves, worked in any convenient manner, for the purpose of directing the steam to any part of the engine, as is well understood. From the valve-boxes e, f, the steam passes through two other valve-boxes g, h, into the steam chambers or boxes i, j, k, 7, from whence it is conveyed to the engine. Upon steam being admitted into the cylinder, through the steam chambers, it forces round the piston; and as the piston approaches the slider, the said slider is withdrawn, thereby allowing the piston to pass beneath it and uncover the opening, through which the steam escapes into a steam-box. The steam, however, is not allowed to escape, until it has propelled the piston past the place to be occupied by the slider, which is brought down by the waste steam, as will be hereafter described. Steam is then admitted into the annular space, from the steam box i, and the piston proceeds in the same manner round to the other slider.