Page images
PDF
EPUB

pulley to the lower moveable part of the spring, and the sheave or wheel of the said pulley is confined in its cell or block, so that it becomes what in sea-language is called a dead-eye, or I simply use a ring or loop instead of the said pulley. I pass a cord through the last-mentioned pulley, ring, or loop, the extremities of which cord are applied to support the two ends of a board, which constitutes part of the bed or receptacle for the limb. The said cord is not fastened immediately to the board, but to two loops of cord, which pass respectively through two holes at each end of the said board, and the said first-mentioned cord is fastened permanently to one of the said loops; but at the other extremity it is provided with a number of eyes or openings, into which an hook from the other loop can be inserted at pleasure, and lengthen or shorten the whole effective part of the said first-mentioned cord: by this method of suspension, the board may be raised or lowered, and placed in any position, with regard to its length, by drawing down one or other of the extremities of the cord which passes through the dead eye or ring; and it may be also placed in any position with regard to its breadth, by means of the loops at the end, which can be slided in the holes of the board. Thirdly, I suspend beneath the said board, longitudinally, a flexible receptacle for the leg or limb, made of cloth, leather, or any other fit material, with a piece or stump of the same, to form a rest for the sole of the foot, attached by a string to one of the pegs hereinafter described. To the edges of the said receptacle, which may be stiffened by a thin slip of wood, whalebone, or any fit material, if thought convenient, I tie or loop certain strings to hooks, which are engaged in the eyes or holes in the edges of the said flexible receptaale; and the said strings pass upwards over the edges of the

said board, and thence are wound respectively through and round certain pegs, resembling those of musical instruments; which said pegs may be disposed in a line along the middle of the said board, each peg being used to raise and lower at the same time the string attached as aforesaid to the opposite points of the said receptacle. By the aforesaid strings the said cloth can be applied more or less firmly against the different parts of the said limb, so as to support the same in the most easy and comfortable manner. And in case it should be necessary to uncover a part of the said limb, while the rest of the limb remains suspended, the cloth or receptacle may be made to consist of a number of separate pieces, each supported by strings, as before described, which may be slackened or disengaged while all the others continue to perform their office; or in case of any discharge of humour from the said limb, any part thereof may by this means be left uncovered, and dressings may be changed or removed, and fit vessels, or other proper applications, may be duly placed or suspended, accordingly as the nature of the indisposition, or other circumstances, may demand. And for the purposes of warmth, clothing, or defence against the external air, it is easy to apply the usual framing over the board, to keep off the bed-cloaths, along with this machine, in the same manner as is now practised in ordinary cases: or otherwise small openings may be made in the cloathing, to admit the spring or cords, so that the board shall be either above or beneath the cloaths and the receptacle and limb in all cases. Besides which, many easy and obvious arrangements in the dimensions, as well as in the use of the apparatus, will be perceived by the intelligent operator, and need not here be described. In witness whereof, &c.

Description

Description of an Apparatus for impregnating Water and other Substances strongly with Carbonic Acid Gas.

By the Rev. GILBERT AUSTIN, M. R. I. A.

From the TRANSACTIONS of the ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY.

THE carbonic acid gas, or other gas, is generated in phials a, a, (see Plate VII. Fig. 1,) with bent tubes in the usual manner, and received in the jar b, placed on the shelf of the pneumatic tub. When the jar b is filled, the phials are applied to others, which are filled also, and reserved to replenish the jar b. To this jar it may be convenient to fit the stop-cock d, communicating with the bent tube e, or the bent tube e may be used without the stop-cock, and be fitted immediately into the neck of the jar. At the end ƒ of the bent tube is a valve opening into the tube g, and at the opposite end of the tube g is another valve h, opening into the stop-cock 2, which communicates with the strong glass vessel Im. To the tube g is adapted the condensing syringe k, which is placed between the valves fand h. The tube g is firmly fixed to the stand n, so that the condensing syringe may be worked without disturbing the apparatus: all the joints must be well fitted, and perfectly air-tight.

The use of this apparatus must be obvious. The parts are all to be screwed together, as in the figure, except the strong glass vessel and its stop-cock; the phials are also to be removed. The jar b being placed on the shelf of the pneumatic tub will, in these circumstances, contain a portion of the common air of the apartment. In order to remove this, the piston of the condenser is to be raised; upon which the valve at h will close, and that at f will open, and admit into the vacuum, formed in the barrel,

[merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][graphic]
[merged small][ocr errors]
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »