pregnating meat, &c., with brine, in which the vacuum is produced by
the well-known Torricellian mode, which, although not the patentable
feature, presents some peculiar advantages in this connexion. -
Oleic and stearic acids.-In the separation of these constituents of fats
it has been found difficult to obtain them pure, for the reason, chiefly, that
the heat was apt to be raised so high as to melt the stearine. The inven-
tion provides for placing the material under pressure in a casing or cham-
ber, which, by means of heated air or liquid, is to heat the mass gradually
and uniformly, and preserve a constant temperature.
Sugar from the cane.—A novel mode of managing the cane has been

patented, which the inventor states will realize nearly the same per cent

age of sugar from the cane as is given by chemical analysis, which is far
greater than that usually obtained. A considerable portion of sugar is
lost in the squeezing operation, and also during the process of defecation.
To obviate these losses, the inventor cuts the came into thin slices, and
dries them; after which, the process of extraction by maceration can be
undertaken at any time. Scientifically viewed, there are obviously ad-
vantages in this mode; but it seems to be a formidable undertaking upon
a large scale—the economy of which, however, will in due time be de-
cided by those interested.
Sugar pans.—Several patents have been granted for improvements in
the evaporating apparatus connected with sugar pans, which must be con-
sidered as valuable acquisitions to the art.
Sugar.—The process of making sugar in places where fuel is scarce

has been very much economised during the past year. A patent has

been granted for certain improvements, by which the heat of condensa-
tion, and steam from evaporation, are both taxed to their utmost limit of
usefulness; and so much so, as to draw forth the expression from an eye-
witness, that “not a particle of steam is seen to escape from the engine, or
sugar apparatus.” -
A patent has also been granted for a mode of treating the came juice,
which is decidedly novel; and though entirely contrary to the usual
practice, and prescribing just what has been hitherto studiously avoided,

yet it brings philosophy to its support. In the first operation of clarifying,

the cane juice, great care has been taken to avoid raising the juice to the
boiling point, although the temperature was raised as nearly to it as possi-
ble without risk. The inventor proposes to raise the cane juice above
the boiling point, under pressure, and thus rapidly coagulate the albu-
minous matters, and precipitate the impurities.
Preventing the incrustation of boilers-A patent has been granted for
a mode of preventing the incrustation of boilers; and though of great
simplicity, is contended for by the inventors as entirely successful, not
only for the prevention of the evil, but the removal of incrustation al-
ready formed. The concrete sediment which attaches itself to the inner
surface of steam boilers is not only the cause of great waste of heat, but
frequently of dreadful accidents. The inventor throws mahogany or
other hard-wood sawdust into the boiler, and affirms that it will clean a .
foul boiler, and entirely prevent incrustation. The inventor adds, that al-,
though such is the fact, he cannot explain it, but that experiment proves
it true. The action is doubtless entirely mechanical: the constant agita-
tion of the particles of sawdust might give rise to sufficient attrition to .
produce the effect. - - -

Bleaching paper pulp.–The specimens of paper pulp accompanying the application for letters patent for this invention were of a beautiful appearance, although made of the poorest material, and were in every other respect as good as pulp prepared in the usual way. The pulp, instead of being bleached in the engine in the usual mode, and then removed to large vats to drain, is bleached in large masses in the vats, which differ in construction somewhat from those in ordinary use.

Impregnating timber.—A patent has been granted for a mode of impregnating timber, in which the timber is submitted successively to the action of steam, operation of exhaustion, and impregnation by various substances; and is also sometimes saturated with and slightly charred by boiling oil.

Daguerreotype pictures.—Three patents have been granted for modes of coloring these pictures. Ordinarily, the attempt to color these beautiful “engravings of light” have proved very inartistical, and often have been resorted to for the purpose of hiding a defective picture. In some of the specimens presented, the effect is good; more particularly where the color is laid upon the back ground alone, relieving very much the metallic glare of the plate. The best effect is from the process in which the colors, mingled with some resinous material, are deposited from a state of floating dust upon uncovered parts of the plate; and when in sufficient quantity, are made to adhere by slightly warming the plate. The melting of the resinous particles not only causes the colors to adhere, but gives a transparency to them, which is the most desirable point to attain. The usual mode of stippling on the colors is very apt to injure the delicate shades of the picture.

CALORIFIC.

3.

Number of applications, 129.—Number of patents granted, 68. Inventions in this class have exhibited much less of interest than formerly. Some very ingenious devices for wick tubes for lamps have been patented, which seem to furnish almost all that is desirable in the management of hand lamps. The flat wick, raised and lowered by means of a small pinion attached to a thumb-screw, was a decided improvement, as affording a very convenient means of moving the wick; but the flat wick to which this improvement was peculiarly applicable is objectionable on account of the flame being so readily blown out by slight currents of air. The improvement in question consists in applying the pinion and thumbscrew to double-wick lamps with tubular wicks. Ty simple contrivances . the wicks are so managed that one or both may be raised at pleasure, or the two wicks may be levelled by one operation. Furnaces for heating buildings.-The openings from these furnaces, in the floors or walls of apartments, are usually covered with a kind of revolving valve, called the register. As these valves, at times, must be entirely closed, it is evident that the open spaces can never exceed half the area of the register. A patent has been granted for an improvement in this article, by which much larger openings can be obtained within the same circle; the openings being covered by two valves or wings resembling the well known butterfly-valves, which are controlled by a cam movement. Stoves.—Many attempts have been made to surround cooking stoves entirely with a flue-space, by making the oven doors hollow or of double

plates, and carrying the smoke through them by means of valves, which

closed when the door was opened, and opened when it was shut. They

have all been more or less complicated, and liable to derangement. A very

ingenious method of effecting this purpose has been patented, in which the

hinge-post of the oven doors was made hollow, and each door made a . part of the general flue-space; and this condition being the same whether

the door was open or shut, it not only dispenses with the valves, but

is not liable to the escape of smoke into the apartment or the oven.

MATHEMATICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Number of applications, 26.-Number of patents granted, 13. Clocks.-Several patents have been granted for improvements in clocks, most of them aiming at economy in the construction of the clock. In a conversation with one of the applicants, he stated that cheapening the cost of a clock two cents was a thing of the greatest consequence to the Connecticut manufacturers. One improvement patented consisted in dispensing with the clock weights, by making use of the weight of the clock as the moving power, the clock, after being wound up, descending through the space of about one foot and a half. This clock may be strictly said to “run down.” Another improvement patented is for a turret clock. The patentee proposes, instead of making the whole clock-work of the usual ponderous size, to make only the striking part of large size, and this to be regulated by a small independent clock for the time part. Carving machine.—A plan for carving upon wood or stone has been patented, by which a person may trace any figure or pattern, and carve at the same time. It differs from the common pentagraph principally in this respect—that the tablet upon which the tracing or carving is to be made is placed upon a frame having universal motion. Magnetic telegraph.—Two patents have been issued for improvements in the electro-magnetic telegraph, and one patent reissued. The extensive introduction of Morse's telegraph has brought its several improvements under the inspection of almost every person much interested in the subject. A patent has been granted for an electro-magnetic telegraph for printing the Roman letters. This invention is more complicated than the printing telegraphs which had been known before, but gives evidence of great ingenuity in the adaptation of the several contrivances to the ends proposed, and is quite interesting in its details.

LEVER AND SCREW POWER, &c.

Number of applications, 27.—Number of patents granted, 7.

But few contributions to the arts, of novel interest, have been made in this class during the past year. A substantial improvement has been effected in the jack screw, for which letters patent have been granted. A. great number of applications under this class have been presented and rejected, particularly for modifications of presses for cotton, hay, tobacco, cheese, &c.; The mechanical powers have become so well known, and most of their modifications public property, that but little yearly advance can be expected in this branch.

92° Doc. No. 52."
stone, clay, AND GLAss MANUFACTUREs, &c.

Number of applications, 17.—Number of patents granted,9.

But few applications have been patented under this class, most of them #. for want of novelty. Those of the patented which have the highest claims to importance are for the melting and working of glass. One of them, for melting glass, is for an improved mode of setting. the glass pot or crucible, by which the fire has access to much more of its surface than before.

Number of applications, 29.—Number of patents granted, 15. Travelling trunks. –An improved mode of making travelling trunks has been patented, which may be the means of protecting the property of travellers from the many injuries caused by the merciless handlings of their baggage. The usual mode of making strong trunks is to fasten the covering to a firm frame work, usually of iron, making the article very heavy, and a bruise or blow upon them generally leaves a permanent indentation. The inventor makes the skeleton or frame work of his trunk of whalebone, cane, or other elastic material, and so secures the ends of the ribs that they do not require any riveting. The trunk is thus made light and elastic to a sufficient extent to prevent permanent injury from a blow. - Mail bags.-A patent has been granted for an improvement in mail bags, in which the principal feature is, that letters may be put into the bags on the way without unlocking them, and at the same time the letters within cannot drop out or be extracted without cutting or unlocking the bags. - - - - - Breaking hides and tanning.—Several modes of working hides have been patented. That which appears most deserving of notice is a foreign invention, the novelty of which, though slight, is nevertheless decided. A patent was granted many years since for working hides by sewing them together to form an endless belt, which was made to run upon two rollers or drums; one of them being in the vat of tan liquor, and the other out of it. By revolving the upper roller the hides were carried in and out of the liquor, and on passing over the upper roller a considerable portion of the absorbed liquor was squeezed out to make room for a fresh absorption. The improvement consists in using a series of rollers and a long endless" belt of hides, one-half the number of rollers being placed in, and the other half out of the vat. At first sight this would appear as merely a multiplication of the rollers to suit an extension of the belt of hides, but it will be seen that a new effect is here produced. . Upon the first mentioned plan, the same side of the hide must always be in contact with the surface of the rollers; and as the hide is revolving, the side opposite to that in contact with the rollers is more in contact with the liquor, and has its pores or grain more expanded. The result of this would be an unequal tanning of the leather. Where the rollers are multiplied, as in the invention before us, it is evident that as any portion of the endless belt passes from one system of rollers to the other, that side. of the hide in contact with the surface of one roller becomes on the next

I

Doc. No. 52. 33

outside or opposite to that in contact with the roller, and thus an equalizing operation is obtained. -

Horse hames.—Several patents have been granted for improvements in

horse hames, and this part of harness seems all at once to have become the subject of improvement. The clumsy contrivances hitherto used in this and many other parts of horse trappings, the frequent galling of the

animals, have at last become objects of attention, and within the two past

years more improvements have been made in harness than perhaps in the twenty years previous. The improvement in the hames is one by which

the tugs or traces are kept from the flanks of the horse, while the strain

of the collar and hames is so distributed as to prevent chafing.

Stretching leather bands.—Much difficulty has hitherto been experi

enced in the use of large leather bands for machinery, from stretching of

the leather, and it has been found expedient to prepare the leather for this

purpose by submitting it to great tension. The leather is wetted, and

stretched by means of screws and clamps, and retained in a state of ten

sion until thoroughly dry. Safety stirrup—A number of contrivances have hitherto been essayed to prevent the catching of the rider's feet in the stirrup in case of a fall, but they have been usually at the expense of the strength of the stirrup. A patent has been granted for an improvement in the safety stirrup, consisting in a method of securing one of its sides by means of a catch and spring, so that the stirrup readily opens by a fall upon that side.

- + HouseHoLD FURNITURE.

Number of applications, 52–Number of patents granted, 24.

Sofa beds-A patent has been granted for an improvement in sofa bedsteads, which combines a complete arrangement for a bed of sufficient size for two persons, with a neat looking sofa, in such manner that its double purpose could not be suspected from its general appearance. Wery. many devices have been hitherto made for sofa beds, but in most cases, where they were made to serve as a double bed, the beauty and strength of the sofa have been sacrificed. Another advantage possessed by the improvement is, that the whole of the fixture, when prepared for the bed, is provided with entire head and foot boards, while in most others these * extend only one-half, or at most two-thirds, of the width of the

Cotton mattresses.—In the last report of your predecessor in office mention is made of the importance to the cotton-growers of the discovery of some new mode of consuming the excess of the produce of this staple. Suggestion is made of the advantage of making beds or mattresses of cotton, and much is said of the comfort, cleanliness and cheapness of such an article. A patent has recently been granted for an improvement in the cotton mattress, which so clearly recommends itself at first sight that it seems deserving of your special notice. The inventor, an American citizen residing abroad, states that he met with the Patent Office report in Europe, containing the suggestions which induced him to investigate the subject, Being concerned in cotton manufactures, he had an opportunity of judging of the fitness of cotton for mattresses, and soon found that in its ordinary condition of cotton-wool, whether carded or not, it could not answer the purpose, as by repeated pressure the cotton would mat' and gather in o from the interlocking of its fibres. This has been the