To SAMUEL WILKES, of Darleston, in the county of Stafford, iron-founder, for improvements in boxes and pins, or screws, for vices and presses.-[Sealed 26th September, 1839.]

THESE improvements consist in making the boxes and male screws of vices and screw-presses of malleable castiron.

The mode of constructing the boxes of vices is as follows: The patentee first prepares an accurate brass model of the box; he then divides it, longitudinally, into three or more parts, which are hinged together, and secured, when in use, by slipping a ring over each end of the box. A core of sand, or of sand and loam, is formed in this model, having a rod of wood, one-fourth of an inch square, and somewhat longer than the core, in its centre; the core, thus formed, is placed in the centre of a sand-mould, in which the box is to be cast, being supported by the rod just mentioned, and the melted iron is poured into the mould, in the usual way.

The moulds, for casting the male screws, that work in the vice-boxes, are made by filling a tube with sand, and ramming it tightly down; then, through the cover of the tube, which is cut with a female screw, a cylindrical rod, somewhat smaller than the intended screw, is introduced; and, when this is withdrawn, an accurate brass model of the male screw is turned gently down the hole in the sand, being steadied, in its revolutions, by the female screw in the cover of the tube. When the brass screw is removed, the tube is connected to a mould of the head of the screw, and in this conjoined mould the screw is cast.

The vice-boxes and screws, thus produced, are afterwards annealed.

The boxes and male screws of presses are made in the same manner as the vice-boxes and screws.

The patentee claims, firstly,-constructing the boxes of vices of malleable cast-iron. Secondly,-constructing the pins or male screws of vices of malleable cast-iron.

Thirdly, constructing the boxes of presses of malleable cast-iron. Fourthly,-constructing the male screws of presses of malleable cast-iron. Fifthly,-the mode of forming the moulds, in which the cores, for casting the boxes vices and presses, are made, of three or more pieces. Sixthly, the mode of forming the moulds, for casting the male screws of vices and presses in metal, as before described. -[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, March, 1840.]

To SAMUEL WILKES, of Darleston, in the county of Stafford, iron-founder, for improvements in the manufacture of vices.-[Sealed 16th April, 1840.]

THE first improvement consists in casting the vices of malleable iron, and afterwards annealing them; and also in casting the pins or male screws of such vices hollow, by placing a sand-core in the mould in which they are cast. By this means, the annealing of the screws will be facilitated, and they may afterwards be used hollow, or filled with cylinders of wrought-iron.

The second improvement relates to a mode of "steeling" the chaps of vices, and consists in casting the chaps with a dove-tail groove, formed in them, to receive a corresponding dove-tail on the backs of the steel faces, as shewn at a, in Plate V., figs. 1 and 3.

The third part of the invention consists in improvements in the construction of parallel vices. Fig. 1, is a side view, and fig. 2, is a transverse section of a small parallel vice. b, is the fixed chap of the vice, formed upon the plate c, by which it is affixed to a bench or other surface. This plate has two dove-tail guides or projections d, between which the fixed nut e, of the moveable chap f, works, and the guides are also embraced by that chap. The object of employing these guides, is to ensure a correct movement of the chap f.

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of a bench-vice. The

moveable chap f, of this vice, rests upon the plate c, and through it a tube g, extends, attached to the projections h, of the plate, and having a slot in its under side, from one end to the other. In the tube g, a screw i, works, carrying the nut j, which is affixed to the moveable chap by pins, passing through the slot in the tube; and thus, by turning the handle k, the moveable chap will be caused to advance towards or recede from the fixed chap.

The patentee claims, firstly, the mode of making the chaps and bodies or limbs of vices of malleable iron, and submitting them to a process of annealing, as above described; and also the casting of the pins, or male screws of vices hollow, as above described. Secondly, the mode of applying steel faces or surfaces to the chaps of vices, as above described. Thirdly,-the mode of constructing the sliding chaps of vices, by applying dove-tail guides, as above described, in respect to figs. 1 and 2; and also the mode of constructing vices, by cylindrical tubes or surfaces, for sliding chaps of vices, as above described.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, October, 1840.]

To RICHARD EDWARDS, of Fairfield-place, Bow, in the county of Middlesex, dealer in emery-cloth, for improvements in preparing and combining materials used in lighting or kindling fires.-[Sealed 29th February, 1840.]

THESE improvements consist in the preparation of what the patentee terms "ventilated faggots," to be used for lighting fires, in place of the ordinary bundles of fire-wood.

The faggots are composed of pieces of wood or reeds, or of wood and reeds combined; each piece is pointed at one end, and, if required to light very quickly, those pointed ends are dipped into melted brimstone, or other inflammable matter. The pieces of wood, or reeds, are then cemented to a strip of paper, rag, wood-shaving, tape, or other cheap combustible material, by means of resin, pitch,

or other adhesive combustible matter; their pointed ends are all in the same direction, and they are arranged at certain distances apart, so that, when made into a bundle, there will be a space between every two pieces, for the passage of a current of air.

To light a fire with these improved faggots, one of them is placed in the stove or grate, with the pointed ends downwards, and the cinders, or coals, are packed around and above it; a light being then applied to the faggot, it becomes instantly inflamed. In some cases, the patentee places several pieces of coal, or cinders, in the faggot, which, becoming quickly ignited, ensure the lighting of the fire. -[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, August, 1840.]

To JULES ALPHONSE SIMON DE GOURNAY, of Bread-street, in the city of London, Gent., for improvements in the manufacture of horse-shoes.-[Sealed 22nd January, 1840.]

THESE improvements consist in attaching the shoe to the horse's foot without the use of nails, which act injuriously on the hoofs of horses that require frequent shoeing.

The shape of the shoe, and the methods of securing it on the foot, are shewn in Plate V., fig. 1, representing the shoe in perspective, and fig. 2, a horse's hoof, with the shoe attached thereto.

At the front of the shoe one or more clips or projections a, are formed, and near its hind ends are two ears or hooks b; the space between the ears and clips, being occupied by from two to eight catches or stops c, which are secured to the shoe by rivetting. These stops are received in notches, cut in the wall of the hoof, and the shoe is fastened upon the foot by a bridle or band of leather, metal, or other suitable material d. The bridle is made with looped ends, in which the ears b, are inserted, and over the front part of it the extremities of the clip or clips are bent and rivetted.

For diseased or defective hoofs, the clip is made in two

pieces, hinged together at e, as shewn in fig. 3, and is connected with the bridle by a screw f, passed through the loops g.

For winter use, studs h, (see fig. 4,) are screwed into the under part of the shoe, to prevent horses from slipping; but these may be removed at pleasure.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, July, 1840.]

To THOMAS HARRIS, of Shiffnall, in the county of Salop, veterinary surgeon, for an improved horse-shoe.-[Sealed 11th January, 1841.]

THIS invention consists in an expanding horse-shoe, which differs from the ordinary expanding shoe, in this particular, -that the latter consists of two pieces, rivetted or connected together at the toe, whereas the former is composed of three pieces, rivetted together at the quarters.

In Plate V., fig. 1, is a plan of the under side of the shoe, in its contracted state, and fig. 2, is a plan of the upper side, in its expanded state; the dotted lines, in the latter figure, shewing the position of the shoe when contracted. The toe-piece a, is connected to the side-pieces b, c, by conical rivets d, d; and the "halvings" of the sidepieces are so cut, that when the shoe is at its greatest point of contraction, as in fig. 1, they will impinge upon the shoulders of the toe-piece, at e, f; and when it is at its greatest point of expansion, as in fig. 2, they will impinge upon the shoulders g, h.

The object of constructing the shoe in this manner, is to allow the natural elasticity of the heels free play, without throwing all the motion to the toe, as in the ordinary jointed shoe.

The patentee claims the improved horse-shoe, hereinbefore described.-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, June, 1841.]