bination and arrangement of the respective parts, as herein described, by which this machine is distinguished from all others constructed for the same purpose."

We are confident that bricks have been pressed by double followers in machines previously made, and there are numerous patents for making brick by pressing untempered clay.

12. For Forge furnaces, and steam engine boilers, in combination; Alexander Harrison, New Haven, Connecticut, March 2.

The body of this combined forge and furnace is represented as nearly egg-shaped; into the lower part, or air chamber, the wind is to be forced, and is to pass up through a grate upon which the fuel lies; the furnace, or forge, occupying the middle portion of the apparatus; into this part there are several openings, or doors, giving access to the fire; the upper part of the egg-formed body constitutes the boiler, which in part, also, surrounds the fire.

The claim is to the "combination of a steam engine boiler with a forge furnace, constructed substantially as aforesaid; that is, with a boiler so formed as to constitute the sides and top of the forge furnace."

There are several things alluded to, which are not explained; the use and application of the apparatus are also very vaguely presented.

13. For a Saw mill dog, or carriage stock; Jesse Reed, Marshfield, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, March 2.

Various modes of forming dogs for holding, and slides for setting, the logs on saw mill carriages, have been made the subject of patents. The things claimed by the present patentee, are a "notched slider, a hand, weight and lever, a lock joint of a knee, a swivel brace, right angled dogs, and the method of confining them, as described, with their arrangement." Some of the parts individually claimed are not new; as, for example, the notched slider, which is a bar of iron forming a rack on its lower edge, and having the right angled dogs on its upper side. The notches, or teeth, on the lower side of the slider, are for setting the log, which is to be effected by the running back of the carriage, in a manner very similar to that adopted by Phineas Bennett. The mode of action is not exhibited sufficiently in detail, to instruct a workman, we cannot, therefore, speak with confidence respecting its originality.

14. For an improvement in the Axles of wagons, carriages, &c. Spencer Coleman, Mount Pleasant, Spottsylvania county, Virginia, March 2.

These axles are called rolling axles, and from the description it appears that they are so denominated from the whole axle being allowed to revolve in boxes fixed on the bolster, or other suitable part, of the frame of the carriage; whether the wheels are also to revolve freely on the axles we are not told, but suppose that they are, otherwise there would be a difficulty in turning the carriage. There is not any claim made, and the patentee is in error in supposing, as he must, that the revolution of the whole axle is a novelty.

15. For a machine for breaking dough, for making bread; Daniel

D. Shackford, and Theodore Shackford, Westbrook, Cumberland county, Maine, March 2.

A circular platform, surrounded by a curb, or rim, converting it into a shallow tube, or trough, is made to revolve horizontally by suitable gearing; within this the dough to be broken is placed, and is operated on by a fluted frustrum of a cone which presses upon it; this frustrum has projecting axes which are suspended by a rope, or chain, from the upper part of the frame of the machine, allowing it to roll freely, and to adapt itself to the surface of the dough. The claim is to "the combination and arrangement of the foregoing machine for breaking dough."

Machines nearly identical with this have been used for washing clothes.

16. For Rotary stove caps; Maynard French, city of Albany, New York, March 2.

According to our understanding of the description of these rotary caps, or tops, of cooking stoves, they differ from those used in Stanley's well known rotary stove in being elevated three, or more inches above the upper fixed plate of the stove, by a circular rim, all around the cap, there being divisions, or descending partitions, on the under side of the cap, between the different openings for cooking utensils; this arrangement being substituted for the circular rim surrounding each opening on the upper side of Stanley's stove cap. The claim made is to "the elevation of the cap, or caps; the formation of the chambers by the various partitions on the under side of the cap or caps; the methods of conveying the smoke and heat from chamber to chamber; [by openings in the partitions,] and the adaptation and application of the said caps to stoves and furnaces, as above described." We see no essential difference between these caps, and those used by Stanley; nor any superior advantage to be derived from them.

17. For an improved machine for Renovating and purifying Feathers; John W. Post, and Ralph Collier, city of Baltimore, March 2.

Two plans of operation are here proposed; one of them is to put the feathers into a double cased vessel, provided with agitators to stir them up; they are to be heated by admitting steam from a boiler between the two cases, so that it may not come into contact with the feathers. The second plan is to dress the feathers without taking them out of the bed; an opening is to be made through the tick at one end, and a recurved metallic tube is to be inserted, through which steam and heated air are to be passed, the bed being occasionally shaken during the operation.

The claim is to "the apparatus as above constructed, and particularly the introduction of heat into beds, without taking out the feathers."

We do not believe that either of these plans will be so effectual as those in which moisture is allowed to come in contact with the feathers, and as respects that particularly claimed, we are convinced it will be productive of little, or no, benefit.

18. For a Churn; Amos Hanson, Windham, Cumberland county Maine, March 2.

The cream is to be put into a square box with a curved bottom, and to be agitated by means of revolving ladle boards, or dashers, which are to be

moved by a cog wheel and pinion. The claim is to "the gearing that is attached, and that operate said machine"!!

19. For an improvement in the Printing Press; John L. Kingsley, city of New York. First patented, April 22, 1835. Surrendered and reissued March 2nd, 1836.

We remarked upon this press as originally patented, at p. 328, vol. xvi. and noticed the defectiveness of the claims made; these are now in the following words: "What I claim as my own original invention in the machinery, is the universal joint of the ball in two sockets; the double joints of the connecting rod, roller, and standards; the manner of regulating power by the screw die and binding nut; and also to the lever, and its manner of connexion."

20. For a machinery for Making Gauges for cabinet makers and joiners; Morris M. Brainard, Great Barrington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, March 4.

This machinery consists of a socket chisel for boring and mortising the heads; of a grooving drill, or cutter, for grooving the bar to receive the slide; of a sliding scraper for fitting the slide to the groove; of a burr saw for dressing the gauge bar; and of a revolving shaver for finishing the head of the gauge, and bringing it into proper shape. Most of these are revolv ing cutters used in the lathe, and adapted in form to the purpose for which they are intended, but not possessing any of that kind of novelty which would class them among inventions. They can hardly be said to be described, yet it would be easy to make similar tools by referring to the drawings, not from the special clearness of these, but from a familiarity with similar

articles.

Composition of Pitch; Thomas H. Sherman, Scriba, Oswego county, New York, March 4.

To make this composition, twenty-five pounds of water lime, and eight and one-third pounds of salt are to be added to 100 pounds of common pitch; the lime is to be added first, then the salt, "and all the process is to be effected over a moderate fire. This gives a substance superior to common pitch, inasmuch as it is harder in the water, and wherever placed remains permanent." The foregoing comprises the entire substance of the specification, in which there is not any claim made. We have known lime and salt added to tar, and the whole boiled together, which, we apprehend, produces a result the same with that of the foregoing recipe. This composition we have seen employed with good effect, for covering shingled roofs. Sparks falling upon it are not so likely to produce combustion as upon dry shingles.

22. For Applying Plaster of Paris, in forming Walls, &c.; John Flint, city of New York, and Clark Mills, Syracuse, Onondaga county, New York, March 4.

A main object of this patent is to secure the right of using "plaster to form walls to obstruct the influx of water in pits where reservoirs are to be built." After digging the pit, plaster is to be sifted, or poured, into the water which is contained in it, so as to cover the bottom to the thickness of four or five inches; a suitable curb is then to be inserted, leaving a space two or three inches between it and the walls of the pit, which space is to

of

abe filled with plaster; the curb, and any contained water, are then to be removed, and the plaster covered with a coating of hydraulic cement. Reservoirs in grounds free from water, and also above ground, are to be 1. formed on similar principles, instructions for doing which are given in the specification.

The things claimed, are the use of calcined plaster, either alone or mixed with other materials, for making walls, or guards, to obstruct the influx of water, in places where such influx occurs; also the use of the like materials for forming other cisterns, to contain liquids.

Hydraulic cement, without the intervention of Plaster of Paris, has been used in a similar way, for the same purpose, and we cannot perceive the advantage of using both. With respect to the claim above made, we do not think it tenable, as it does not contain any new discovery, or mode of procedure, or point to any "new machine, art, manufacture, or composition of matter."

23. For an improvement in Locks and Keys denominated the Lever Lock and Key; Augustus Prutzmann, city of Philadelphia, March 4.

A report upon this lock will be found at page 180; it having been submitted to the Committee on Science and the Arts. We cannot do better than refer to their report, as any attempt at description, without several drawings, would give a very imperfect idea of the construction of the locks. We have not looked enough into it to form a satisfactory opinion of its relative merits.

24. For an improvement in Rail Road Cars; Frederick Davis and William Ashdown, Baltimore, Maryland, March 4.

This is said to be an improvement upon the plan patented by G. W. Cleaveland, on the 14th October, 1835, in which axles, divided in the middle, were employed in what was called a self-adjusting rail road car. The present patentees adopt the divided axle, each wheel turning independently, and being connected by a system of levers by which they propose to adapt the wheels to the curvature of the road, whatever that may be, and thus to prevent the vibrating, or zig zag, motion of the car, and preserve the flanch from contact with the rail. It so happens, however, that this vibratory motion is not caused by the curvature of the road, as it takes place as strikingly in the straight parts, and results from those perpetually recurring inequalities, which are unavoidable even on the best roads. The same defect attends the proposed plan as that which we have noticed in some others, namely, the fore and hind wheels are simultaneously acted upon; yet it must happen at the beginning and the end of every curve, that one pair of wheels will be on the curve, whilst the other pair is on the straight rails.

25. For a Water Wheel; Frederick Wingate, Augusta, Kennebec county, Maine, March 4.

The patentee intends to use this wheel, for "propelling mills, machinery of any kind, boats and vessels, by water power. Since obtaining his patent he has had time to try this wheel, and if he has done so, we are convinced that it is like many other things on trial, in the way of condemnation. The wheel is made in the manner of the common smoke-jack, consisting of a circular disk cut into six, or any other convenient number of, sections, by radial lines from the periphery towards the centre, and setting the sections.

somewhat obliquely. Such wheels have been frequently tried, but not a second time, we apprehend, by the same person. They were essayed for propelling on the Hudson, by Gen. Stevenson, more than thirty years ago,

26. For an improvement in the Bar-share Plough; William P. Cannon, Monroe county, Tennessee, March 4.

CLAIM. "What I claim as my invention, and not previously known, in the above described plough, is the mortise, heel plate, and screw, on the hori zontal bar, allowing the plough to be regulated in the depth by turning on the heel screw, instead of the eye or rachet, which rendered the plough stationary as to depth, unless through the alteration of the horses' hames. And in discovering the property, and first making of the mortice in the upright, or perpendicular bar, so as to fix the plough at any depth desirable by the movable rivet."

27. For an improvement in the Rudders for Ships and Boats; Samuel Kepner, Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, March 4. Ships need not to have been mentioned, as this rudder will never be applied to them; it has been contrived for

canal boats, and may possibly answer a good purpose in such vessels. The sketch in the margin will give a correct idea of the thing proposed, which is so to construct the rudder that by depressing the tiller, it will be raised out of the water, in which case it may be made to operate like an oar, enabling the helmsman the more readily to govern the boat.

28. For a machine for Turning Boots; Pelatiah Stevens, Jr., Stoughton, Norfolk county, Massachusetts, March 4.

We described a machine for turning boots at p. 266, vol. xvii, which undoubtedly answered the purpose perfectly well. The plan now proposed bears a strong resemblance to the above; the present patentee, however, states that he contrived his and put it into operation, prior to July, 1833. We are apprehensive that this statement will not aid him in sustaining his patent, as a public use of it for two or three years would abstract something from its novelty.

29. For an improvement in the Printing Press; Hezekiah Camp, Trenton, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, March 4.

This is called a flexible tympan press; and it is so called because the tympan, with the sheet upon it, is drawn down under a press roller, to receive the impression. A claim is made to the manner of throwing this press roller in and out of gear; also to the flexible tympan, self-operating clamps, &c. The drawing is not sufficiently in detail to show the construc tion of the various parts; and the flexible tympan, which is broadly claimed,

is not new.

30. For an improvement in the Steam Engine; Nathan Lockling, Sparta, Lexington county, New York, March 4.

This improvement is, to us, truly transcendental; or, in other words, we