Inventions of the Month.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 26, 1 October 1894, Page 30

Inventions of the Month.

[By Henry Hughes, Patent Agent, Wellington.]

Extracting Stumps of Trees and Standing Trees, &c. —(No. 6518, G. Tate, labourer, Eketahuna.)—Consists _of fastening snatch blocks to several stumps of trees, then threading ropes through the several blocks in such a manner that there will be a pressure on each stump, but the greatest pressure in the system comes on the tree to be felled. A Combined Milk-Straining and Sampling Appliance. —(No. 6560, C. C. Lance. Euroa, Victoria.) —A removable receptacle is inserted in a larger and deeper vessel and receives the milk to be strained and sampled. The bottom of the receptacle is constructed of wire gauze through which the milk passes into the outer vessel. The outer vessel is provided with a lead away duct arranged to discharge into a tub upon which the vessel is secured. A small hole is perforated in the bottom of the ducc and under said hole a small metal stand is set which supports a removable cup to receive the sample of milk. Pulverising or Reducing Gold Bearing Quartz or Ores, &c. —(No. 6572, Edward Waters, 131 William Street, Melbourne.) —Consists in pulverising the ore by the combination of a conical grinding surface and a grinding roller or rollers enclosed in a casing with an inlet for water below and an exit above. An Improved Inanimate or Lay Pigeon.—(No. 6592, A. N. Whitney, Melbourne.) —This invention has the humane intention of dispensing with the destruction of live birds for amuse • ment and consists in providing a sham pigeon composed of almost any material, and which is discharged from a mechanical pigeon trap imparting to the same two motions, one motion being-through space and the other a rotary motion on its axis. The momentum acquired by the sudden release of an arm carrying tho pigeon causes an elastic finger to spring back, and the disc or pigeon having a serrated edge revolves on its point of contact and thus provides the compound motion. Surveyors Adjustable Centering Rod. —(No. 6609, Charles. Bristow, Marton.) —This invention provides an accurate and convenient substitute for the usual centering rod. It consists of an upright of hard wood, spiked at the bottom, which • forms a standard carrying a radial arm on which -is a slide to which the plumbob is attached. The arm moving radially and the slide outwardly, it is evident that the plumbob can be accurately and very quickly set in position. Saving of Gold by a Travelling Endless Sluice-box.— (No. 6963, D. Mason, and R. T. Wheeler, Jr., both of Dunedin, N.Z.) —This invention is a sluice-box, divided into short lengths, which are hinged together so as to form an endless chain and revolve round rollers. The material to be operated on is supplied by a chute, having a regulating valve. New and Improved Automatic Release for Milking Machines. —(No. 6999, J. Callister, Matarawa, N.Z.) —This invention is an improvement on a well known and an ingenious device to relieve the pressure on the cow’s teat when the milk is exhausted, and the improvement consists in the use of a compensating cup, so balanced as to keep the air hole closrd until the action of the air pump has reduced the pressure within the can sufficiently to draw milk from the cow. The cup receives the flow of milk, and, during the flow the weight of the full cup suffices to keep the air hole closed, but as the flo.w diminishes the cup drains itself through a small liolo, and, becoming lighter, is raised by the pressure at the air-hole acting on the lever. The air is thus admitted to the can, and all suction through the teat tube ceases. This release of pressure is further effected by an arm and pad on the side of the cup being raised with the cup, and acting as a valve to stop the suction of the air pump. Improvements in Multiple Expansion Engines. —(No. 7000, Edward Waters, 181, William-street, Melbourne.) —The object is to provide an improved construction of multiple expansion engine, and especially to render the pistons of the cylinders more readily accessible and removable. The three. cylinders are arranged in line, with intervals between them, but all communicating the motion to the work to be done by a common rod.

Ball-bearing Plummer Block for Spindles of Clover Sheller Drum, &c. —(No. 7024, P. and D. Duncan, Christchurch.) —This invention seems to make a claim for using ball bearings in any form for the spindles of threshing, shelling and dressing machinery, but the bearings shown in the drawing consists of an outer case or plummer block, having a chamber much larger than the shaft, at each end of which bushes are screwed, in which bushes confine a ring of ball bearings, against the ends of a sleeve fastened to the shaft. Freeman’s Slate Pencil Sharpener. —(No. 7056, W. T. Freeman, Invercargill.)—Consists of a piece of metal roughened and having projections so as to be tacked on to a slate or frame in a similar manner to boot fasteners.

Croxford’s Improved Water Heater for Ranges. —(No. 7058, C. L. Croxford, Dunedin.) —A copper vessel is made to form one side'of the fire space, and an inlet supply pipe is returned round the fire space and connected with the said vessel. An outlet is taken from the veosel near to the top, and also returned round the fire space. Thus all is exposed to the full force of the fire.

Burton's Eclipse Stumping Machine. —(No. 7065, E. Burton, Masterton.) —Consists of a support somewhat similar to shear legs which carry a pulley over which a rope or chain extends and grasps the stump, the other end of the rope being attached to a windlass driven by hand or power.

An Improvement in Berdan : drags and Similar Grinders. (No. 7067, J. Kilgour, Greymouth.)—Consists of a simple and ingenious arrangement of forming the drags in radial segments with copper plates and amalgam between, by which means the drags fit well to the berdan and present a large amalgamating surface.

A Combined Adze,- Hammer and Scoop. —(No. 7068, Messrs Lowden and Maw, Mataura.) —Consists in making in one piece of metal an adze, scoop and hammer, the hammer being in the middle and the scoop and adze projecting outwards at either end. The Automatic Hydro-Electric Indicator and Alarm.— (No. 7069, H. A. Dando, Lyttelton.)—This invention is for the purpose of giving an alarm when a liquid has. reached a certain level in a vessel or tank and consists in placing a float in the said liquid so that when the proper level is reached the float-or a rod attached to the same forms contact with an electrical apparatus and rings a bell. An Improved Vehicle Wheel. —(No. 7077, J. P. Dinham and S. Kidman, of New South Wales.) —The principle consists of the formation of the spokes in a double series attached at the hub end to two separate discs which are extended and held apart by r a device consisting of a tube which forms the hub, and has a screw thread upon its exterior on which two nuts are screwed, which serve to force apart to the necessary distance the two discs to which the ends of the spokes are secured, and which discs slide over the tops of the thread.

Improvements in the Joints of Facings and Pockets of Waterproof Garments. —(No. 7078, S. and H. Weingott, Sydney.)—The inventor sews on the pocket or facing a strip of India-rubber taping or faced cloth or material such as that ordinarily used for finishing the seams of waterproof garments, and uses the rubber face of such tape as the medium by which the facing is caused to adhere to the body pieces. So long as this strip ,of India-rubber is affixed by sewing to the facing or pocket with its face side towards the body piece to which the facing or pocket piece is to be fastened, and said strip is then caused to adhere to the body piece; the essence of this invention is availed of for there are many ways in which the sewing and finishing of the edge may be carried out. A Gardening Implement. —(No. 7079, J. Martin, Christchurch, and J. Morgan, Sydenham.)—Attaching to' a rake an implement consisting of a hoe at one end and a pick at the other, so that the rake, pick and hoe may be in one piece of metal.

Improvements in Corking Bottles. —(No. 7080, G. W. Browne, New Plymouth.)—A rubber washer is inserted in the neck of the bottle and a wooden cone or stopper is. placed in and pressed down. The top of the cone is cut across by a groove to receive the spring. ' .

An Improved Potato Digoer and Separator. —(No. 7087, D. Smith and T. H. Tilley, Victoria.) —This invention consists of a frame supported on two wheels and carrying a steel shovel slotted at the back to form a cone, also an elevator operating in conjunction with a grating formed by longitudinal bars. The elevator is formed of transverse tmed bars attached to link belting actuated by sprocket wheels; the tines running between •the ribs at back of shovel to convey the earth and potatoes on to the grating of the separator, also a separator having longitudinal bars attached to cranks at one end, the other ends being loose, and such crank being- fixed transversely. The separator had also a side motion operated by a buckled disc rotating between two rollers. The whole of the mechanism is driven from a spur wheel on the main shaft.

An Improved Machine for Backing, Hollowing and Jointing Staves. —(No. 7088, J. W. Lahey and T. G. Lahey, Brisbane.) —Delates to an improved machine for economically manufacturing cask staves of various kinds, giving them a better finish and producing them at less cost. This machine is elaborately well illustrated and seems to have been thoroughly well worked out by practical men, but is too complicated for any short description.

Improvements in the Method Of and Apparatus For Washing or Cleansing Wool and other Textile Fibres ; also applicable to the washing of clothes.—(No. 7000, I. Abraham, Ipswich, Queensland.) —Consists of a bowl or tank slightly inclined from the end whence the wool is fed to the end where it is discharged., The wool is acted upon when in this, tank by perforated stampers, which rise and fall, gfving a simple and continuous washing action, and delivering the wool at the end of the tank to suitable squeezing rollers. The apparatus is simple and mechanical, and the wool is not matted by the use of the usual rakes. The title of this application is defective, for wool can hardly be called a textile fibre. Improved Clog Boots. —(No. 7093, David Henderson and Henry Henderson, Thames.)—This is an improvement on wooden soled miners boots and consists in employing green hide uppers upon which the mineral water has very little effect. The uppers are tacked to the wooden soles, which are shod with about 4-inch by £th inch iron to prevent the wood wearing or chipping.

Eclipse Gold Saving Machine. —(No. 7096.) —The are made to fall on a spreading attachment which consists of a" box slightly sloped downwards, and divided into compartments by division boards; water flows in behind these boards and with the tailings falls on to a perforated plate or screen where the whole is again supplied with water under the said screen, and this water rising upwards through the same raises the material on to a spreader.

Check Nut especially for Fang Bolts as used on Railways. —(No. 7100, G-eo. A. Troup, Wellington.)—Provides a ready means of security holding fang or other nuts which can only with difficulty be got at, or which are covered up by ballast and consists in recessing the nut so that it fits over a plate or vice versa, by which means the nut retains its position even when the bolt is withdrawn and can be tightened by turning the head of the bolt, which is conveniently shaped for that purpose. Improvements of Boots, Shoes and Slippers. —(No. 7102, James Suckling, Christchurch.) —An elastic gore is inserted in place of or along with the tongue, and is secured at a sufficient distance from the edge of the lacing as is the case in an ordinary watertight boot, leaving the usual room between the stitching of the gore and the edge of the lacing to allow of a row of eyelet holes. , An Improved Apparatus for use with Windows for excluding Flies, &c. —(No. 7103, Alfred Leon Isaacs, Dunedin.) —Is an ingenious and very simple contrivance consisting in attaching to the upper and lower edges, sheets of metal gauze which arc gathered up by spring rollers, and the window is raised or lowered thus totally excluding flies and vermin. Improved Combined Lock and Plug for Drain Ploughs. —(No. 7118, James and John Galt, Mataura.) —The coulter is so formed that it passes completely through hind part of the sock,

which is slotted to receive it, the end of the slot fitting into a notch formed in the coulter; the sock is also held to the courtlo by two transverse bolts. The plug is also similarly'fitted, and held to the coulter, the whole forming a simple mechanical and useful contrivance.

(7114, Ferguson, Auckland.)—This is a simple and useful tool, to bo fixed to the end of the boot, so that weeds may be out and removed by kicking action. Improvements in Switchback Railways.— (No. 7IIG, James B. Copland and Edward Crosby Peers, Wellington.)—lmprovement in switchbnck railways consists in making switchback railways in the form of a circle, and driving the, carriages by means of a motor placed outside the circle, .and communicating its power by means of ropes to a horizontal wheel within the circle, which again communicates it to the carriages, which are joined together by couplings having universal joints. Improvements in Butter Packing Casks.— (No. 7116.) Consists in grooving the outside of the oases, or fixing slats thereto, in order to allow of groator circulation in transit. The Colonial Feed Regulating Roller.— (No. 7119, Alexander Storrie, Invercargill.)—This is an improved roller for regulating the flow of any kind of seed from the hopper of any kind of seed sowing machines to the place from whence it is lifted by the spoons or other contrivances and deposited on the ground. Consists in regulating the flow of the seed by means of a roller instead of slides, raoks and pinions, as commonly used. The roller extends the whole length of the seedbox, and has notches dividingit into a semi-circle, where ittuces the hopper; thus, by the revolution of the roller, the scmi-circle will totally shut off the seed or regulate the flow to a nicety. The Colonial Force Feeder and Safety Spuing Regulator.—(No. 7120, Janies Dunbar, Invercargill.)—An improved force feeder for distributing all kinds of grain and seed in any kind of seed-sowing muchino. This refers to a method of feeding seed in sowing by means of fluted rollers and accurately gauging the amount by means of an indicator, which is applied to gunge the rollors, and having an intermediate spring by which the indicator can always be regulated, oven though the fluted roller has become choked.

An Improved Clip. —(No. 7127, James MacAlistor. Invercargill.)—An improved clip for the purpose of attaching coulter bars to the draw-bar of any drill or seed sower, or any kind of implements requiring a clip fastening. This is a simple method of keeping the coulter in its proper place, and also a speedy method of detaching or fixing the coulter in its place or shifting the position along the front bar to any desired width. Improved Conical Feeder and Distributor, for Fertilisers and Manures of All Kinds. —(No. 7122, James Mac Allister, Invercargill.)—Has conical, star-shaped feeders driven by spirals or bevel wheels, and regulating the quantity sown by sliding plates. The Colonial Speed Device.—(No. 7128.)—An improved speed device for regulating the quantities of seed or manure sown by any machine used for the purpose of sowing any such substances. Consists in placing on the feeding spindles of a drill bevelled wheels, having concentric rings of teeth, each row having the same pitch, so that a pinion gearing into and capable of being moved from one concentric ring to tho other, will readily alter the speed. A New and Improved Portable Baby Fold,— (No. 7124, William Barber Chapman, ltangiora.)—Consists in placing the babies in a sort of small sheep-fold or pon, made of four small hurdles, hooked together so as to form a square.