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ber 1832, an engineer in my employment of the name of Outridge, fastened down the safety-valve of a boiler with copper wire-one of the chambers as a necessary consequence rent, and Outridge was thrown down and died in about an hour afterwards-from fright it is supposed, as there was neither wound, bruise, norscratch upon his person, and as he was or in ill health at the time. Some imagined he was choked by the rushing of the steam in'o his lungs; but this was denied by the surgeon on the inquest. I beg to refer your readers for a full account of the matter to your Magazine, vol. 18, p. 204, or more particularly in my" Narrative"* lately published. much for this most unfair misrepresentation of Mr. Hebert's, which I consider the less honourable because couched in terms correct in the main, but utterly false in the impression intended to be conveyed to the reader. I had rested content had he mentioned the circumstances of the case.

So

With regard to the claim of invention actually made by me in the specification of my patent, Mr. Hebert charges me with an attempt to "impose upon your readers." The accusation recoils upon himself: the words of my claim are, the constructing narrow flat vessels in the form and manner hereinbefore described; and which are adapted to be placed vertically, or edge-ways upwards, over the fire, for producing steam for steam-engines. And also in arranging and combining a series of such vessels together, with narrow vertical spaces between them for the fire, so as to form one boiler, with communications through their junctions for the passage of water and steam from one vessel to another."

Even had I not used the latter generalizing words, the law would assume them, and protect me from all infringements by such a mere colourable modification of my plan, as Sir James Anderson's, I again assert, is.

I must make one more remark, which will, I imagine, surprise your readers: in my specification, the drawings of the chambers happen to have the favorite

Narrative of twelve years experiments (1824 to 186), demonstrative of the practicability an vantage of employing steam carriages on common roads, &c., pp. 104. London: Weale, High Holborn, and Mann, Cornhill.

and identical flatness, and rivets through strengthening bars from side to side, as specified and claimed by Sir James Anderson!

In conclusion, Sir, I am perfectly satisfied with the result of this controversy. If Sir James Anderson, his agent, his company, directors, secretary and shareholders, can find, (and no doubt after a diligent search,) no better grounds upon which to invalidate my patent than they have adduced, I consider that it rests upon firmer grounds than before it was attacked; and I thank them for putting the matter to the proof. I shall not again trouble you, Sir, unless some other anterior patent be discovered, or truth implicitly demands it. Those concerned, however, may rest assured, that though thus silent, I shall not stand tamely by, and see my right invaded. I have fairly obtained a legal monopoly of my invention of flat-chambered boilers, and I shall assert that right, either at law, or in equity, whenever I discover that it is intrenched upon.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
WALTER HANCOCK.
Stratford, August 23, 1838.

LIST OF ENGLISH PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 26th OF JULY AND THE 29th OF AUGUST, 1838.

Wilton Wood, of Liverpool, for an improved method of making bands and tackling to be used in drawing, turning, or carrying machinery. July 26; six months to specify.

George Holworthy Palmer, of New Cross, Surrey, civil engineer, and George Bertie Paterson, of Hoxton, engineer, for certain improvements in the mode of preparing, constructing, and adapting certain parts of gas meters. July 28; six months.

Andrew Paul, of Doughty-street, Saint Pancras, surgeon, A. B. and M. B., for an improved hydraulic pump, douche or jet obean, applicable to all the purposes of lavement in medical operations. July 30; six months.

Robert Hendley, of Belgrave-street, St. Pancras, doctor of medicine, for a metallic concrete capable of being, by means of fire, cast into a variety of forms, and applied to a variety of purposes for which iron, lead, zinc, copper, and other substances have been heretofore used. July 30; six months.

Samuel Hall, of Basford, civil engineer, for improvements in steam-engines, heating or evaporating fluids or gases, and generating steam or vapour. July 30; six months.

Joseph Rayner and Joseph Whitehead Rayner, of Birmingham, civil engineers, and Henry Samuel Rayner, of Ripley, civil engineer, for improvements of machinery for roving, spinning, and twisting cotton, flax, silk, wool, and other fibrous materials. July 31; six months.

Edward Heard, of Bateman's-buildings, Sohosquare, manu acturing chemist, for certain improvements in oxydizing lead, and converting the

same into pigments, or white and red lead, and manufacturing part of the products arising from these processes into soda. August 1; six months.

George Marquess of Tweeddale. for an improved method of making tiles for draining soles, house tiles, flat rooting tiles, and bricks; to extend to the colonies only. August 1; six months.

Edwin Whele, of Walsall, Stafford, tallow chandler, for an improvement or improvements in the manufacture of candles. August 1; six months.

John Dennett, of New Village, in the Isle of Wight, engineer, for improvements in war rockets, and in the methods and apparatus for applying the powers of rockets for the purpose of obtaining communication with vessels which are stranded or in other situations of danger; also an improved instrument and method for accurately pointing mortars for throwing shells, which may likewise be used for firing shot from mortars for the purpose of obtaining communication with ships. August 2; six

months.

Samuel Sanderson Hall, of the Circus, Minories, for improvements in preserving certain vegetable substances from decay; being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 3; six

months.

Thomas Lund, of Cornhill, in the City of London, cutler, for improvements in extracting corks from wine and other bottles, with steadiness, facility, and safety. August 3; six months.

Charles Bourjot, of Coleman-street, City, merchant, for improvements in the manufacture of iron. August 3; six months.

Robert William Sievier, of Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square, gent., for certain improvements in looms for weaving, and in the mode or method of producing figured goods or fabrics. August 6; six

months.

Pierre Armand Lecomte de Fontainemoreau, of Charles-street, City-road, for certain improvements in wool combing, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 6; six months.

Richard Rodda, of Saint Austle, Cornwall, assay master, for certain improvements in furnaces, fireplaces, and stoves, for the consumption of smoke and the saving of fuel, and in the mode of applying them to the generation of steam, the smelting of metals, and other works. August 7; six months.

Eugene de Beuret, of Moorgate-street, City, for certain improvements in the construction of railroads and tram-roads to facilitate the ascent and descent of hills and inclined plains, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 10; two months.

Matthew Heath, of Furnival's Inn, London, gentleman, for improvements in preparing tobacco, and in making snuff; being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 10; six months. Thomas Corbett, of Plymouth, for certain improvements in heating hot-houses and other buildings. August 10; six months.

David Cheetham, jun., of Staley Bridge, Chester, spinner, for certain improvements in the means of consuming smoke, and thereby economising fuel and heat in steam-engine or other furnaces or tire-places. August 14; six months.

Charles Wye Williams, of Liverpool, gent., for certain improvements in the process or the mode of purifying or preparing turpentine, rosin, pitch, tar, and other bituminous matters, whereby he increases their power of giving out light and heat either when distilled or burnt as fuel. August 14; six months.

William Henry Porter, of Russia-row, Cheapside, warehouseman, for improvements in anchors. August 15; six months.

Ramsay Richard Reinagle, of George-street, London University, Royal Academican, and the Chevalier George Robert D'Harcourt, of King Williamstreet, City, civil engineer, for certain improvements in the means of propelling canal boats, steamers, and other vessels. August 15; six months.

George Robert D'Harcourt, of King William

street, (ity, civil engineer, for improvements in the manufacture of paper; being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 15; six months.

Charles Fox, of Gloucester place, Camden-town, engineer, for an improved arrangement of rails for the purpose of cans ng a railroad engine, carriage, or train to pass from one line of rails to another. August 15; two months.

Matthew Warton Johnson, of Buckinghamplace, Middlesex, sculptor and stone-mason, for improvements in the construction of coffins. August 15; six months.

William Wainwright Potts, of Burslem, Stafford, china and earthenware manufacturer, for certain improvements in machines, applicable to the printing or producing patterns in one or more colours, or metallic preparations to be transferred to earthenware, porcelain, china, glass, metal, wood, cloth, paper, papier machie, bone, slate, marble, and other suitable substances. August 21; six months.

Samuel Stocker, of Bristol, achinist, for improvements in chimneys for dwelling houses, and in apparatus for scraping, sweeping, or cleaning chimneys, and in the manufacture of such apparatus, and of the materials of which such chimneys are formed. August 21; six months.

Richard Bradley, William Barrows, and Joseph Hall, of Bloomfield iron works, Stafford, iron masters and co-partners for an improved method or means of making iron. August 21; six months.

Nicholas Troughton, of Broad-street, City, gent., for improvements in the process of obtaining copper from copper ores. August 21; six months.

Jean Leandre Clement, of Rochfort, in the kingdom of France, but now of Jauney's Hotel, Leicester-square, gent., for improvements for ascertaining, and indicating the rate of vessels passing through the water. August 21; six months.

Pierre Armand Lecomte de Fontainemoreau, of Charles-street City-road, gent., for certain new and improved metallic allays, to be used in various cases as substitutes for zinc, cast-iron, copper, and other metals. August 23; six months.

George Dickinson, of Wood-street, Cheapside, paper manufacturer, for an improvement or improvements upon steam engines. August 23; six months.

Arthur Dunn, of Stamford-hill, gent., for certain improvements in the manufacture of soap. August 24; six months.

John Coope Haddan, of Bazing-place, Waterlooroad, gent., for certain improvements in the construction of carriages to be used on railways, and in the method of forming the same into trains. August 25; six months.

Lawrence Heyworth, of Yewtree, near Liverpool, Lancaster, merchant, for a new method of applying steam power directly to the periphery of the movement-wheel, for the purposes of locomotion, both on land and water, and for propelling machinery. August 30; two months.

Miles Berry, of Chancery lane, for certain improvements in looms for producing metallic tissues, and also improvements in such tissues, applicable to the making of buttons, epauletts, tassels, and other purposes, for which gold and silver lace or braiding is commonly employed, and to the making of imitation of jewellery and other fancy articles being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. August 30; six months.

William Dolier, of Liverpool, lecturer on education, for a certain durable surface or tablet for the purposes of receiving writings, drawings, or impressions of engravings or other devices, capable of being printed, which surface may be applied for roads or pavements, and part of which invention may also be used as the means of strengthening or beautifying glass. August 30; s'x months.

Joseph Davies, of Nelson-square, gentleman, for a composition for protecting wood from flame. August 30; four months.

John Grafton.of Cambridge,C. E., for certain im

provements in the construction of retorts and other machinery for making gas from coal and orher substances. August 30; six months.

Henry Knill of Eldon-place, Bermondsey, for improvements in cleansing the bottoms of docks, rivers, and other waters. August 30, six months.

John Earle Huxley, of Great Marlborough-street, John Earle Huxley, Jun., of the same place, and John Oliver, of Dean-street, Soho, stove-makers, for improvements in certain descriptions of stoves. August 31; six months.

Joseph Curtis, of Stamford street, Blackfriars-road, C. E., for certain improved machinery and apparatus for facilitating travelling and transport on railways, parts of which are also applicable to other purposes. August 31; six months."

LIST OF SCOTCH PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 22nd OF JULY, AND THE 22nd of August, 1838.

Joseph Bennett of Turnlee, near Glossop, Derby, cotton spinner, for certain improvements in machinery for carding wool, cotton, flax, or other fibrous substances, which are, or may be carded, part of which improvements are also applicable to machinery for drawing, doubling, roving, and spinning such fibrous substances as are, or may be subjected to their operations. Sealed 26th of July, 1838; four months to specify.

Richard March Hoe, late of New York, but now residing at Chancery-lane, Middlesex, civil engineer, in consequence of a communication made to him from Dr. H. H. Sherwood, of New York, aforesaid, for a new or improved instrument, or apparatus for ascertaining, or determining the latitude and longitude of any place, or the situation of ships or other vessels at sea, and the dip and variation of the magnetic needle, which new or improved instrument he intends to denominate, "Sherwood's Magnetic Geometer." July 26.

Richard March Hoe, late of New York, but now residing at Chancery-lane, Middlesex, civil engineer, for certain improvements in machinery, or apparatus for grinding and polishing metal surfaces. July 28.

William Barnett, of Brighton, Sussex, iron founder, for certain improvements in the production of motive power, and in the manufacture of iron. July 31.

Richard Badnall, of Cotton Hall, Stafford, gent., for a certain improvement in the manufacture of carpets, and other similar wooven fabrics, which improvement is effected by the introduction of a certain article of commerce not hitherto so employed or used in such manufactures. July 31.

Richard Treffry, of Manchester, Lancaster, chemist, for certain improvements in the method for preserving certain animal and vegetable substances from decay, and also in the apparatus for, and mode of impregnating substances to be preserved. Aug. 6. Robert Sandiford, of Tottington, Lower end, Lancaster, block printer, for certain improvements in the arts of block printing, and in certain arrangements connected therewith. August 7.

John Thomas Betts, of Smithfield Bars, in the city of London, rectifier, in consequence of a communication from a person residing abroad, for improvements in the process of preparing spirituous liquors in the making of brandy. Angust 9.

Henry Bessemer, of City-terrace, City-road, Middlesex, engineer, for certain improvements in machinery, or apparatus for casting printing types, spaces and quadrats, and the means of breaking off and counting the same. August 9.

Peter Fairbairn, of Leeds, York, machine maker, in consequence of a communication from a foreigner residing abroad, for certain improvements in looms for weaving ribbons, tapes, and other fabrics. Augst 10.

Sir James Caleb Anderson, of Buttevant Castle, Cork, baronet, for certain improvements in locomotive engines, which are partly applicable to other purposes. August 18.

David Cheetham, junior, of Staley Bridge, Chester, spinner, for certain improvements in the means of consuming smoke, and thereby economising fuel and heat in steam-engines, or other furnaces or fire places. August 22.

James Robinson, of Huddersfield, York, merchant, for an improved method of producing by dyeing various figures or objects of various colours in woollen, worsted, cotton, silk, and other cloths. August 22.

IRISH PATENTS GRANTED IN JULY, 1838. Joshua John Lloyd Margary, of Wellington-road, Middlesex, for a new mode of preserving animal and vegetable substances from decay.

William Holme Heginbotham, of Stockport, Chester, gent., for certain improvements in the construction of gas retorts.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

American Rotary Steam-Engine.-On the farm of Whittingham Mains, East Lothian, possessed by Mr. Hepburne, we witnessed on the 13th inst. an engine of six horse power, made by Ruthven of Edinburgh, propelling a thrashing-machine in a manner which left no doubt of the power and ultimate success of the application of steam on this principle. Thus the American rotary steam-engine, after being so severely ridiculed, has been first adopted on this side of the Atlantic by a farmer, without aid or encouragement from his landlord, in separating grain rom straw, and we have no doubt of its history amongst us arising from so unpretending an origin, long conveying a lesson of humility to the engineers and men of science in Britain. -Correspondent of the Edinburgh Chronicle.

Platina Wires.-A musical composer, named Fischer, has proposed the substitution of platina wires for those of steel or brass. It is (he says,) more elastic and ductile, and the sounds produced by this metal are sweeter; air and damp do not act upon it, and as it combines with iron, cords might be made of a composition of the two, which would present the advantages of each.-Athenæum.

It has been calculated that if the toll on Waterloo-bridge were raised in proportion to "the original cost of the construction, and the maintenance thereof," (the words of Sir James Graham's motion on railways), the charge for each foot-passenger would be one shilling, and for each carriage, with two horses, six shillings.

The twenty-eighth volume of the Mechanics. Magazine is now published, price, in half-cloth, 8s. 6d., with a Railway Map of England and Wales. The Railway Map may be had separately, price 6d.; and on fine paper, coloured, price ls.

British and Foreign Patents taken out with economy and despatch; Specifications, Disclaimers, and Amendments, prepared or revised: Caveats entered; and generally every Branch of Patent Business promptly transacted. A complete list of Patents from the earliest period (15 Car. 11. 1675,) to the present time may be examined. Fee 2s. 6d.; Clients, gratis.

LONDON: Printed and Published for the Proprietor, by W. A. Robertson, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, No. 6, Peterborough-court, between 135 and 136, Fleet-street.-Sold by A. & W. Galignani, Rue Vivienne, Paris.

Mechanics' Magazine,

MUSEUM, REGISTER, JOURNAL, AND GAZETTE.

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MR. WALTER HANCOCK'S NARRATIVE

OF HIS EXPERIMENTS ON COMMON
ROAD STEAM-CARRIAGES.

Few instances have occurred in which the public expectation has been kept so continually on tip-toe, and been so repeatedly disappointed, as in the endeavours of various inventors to perfect the Some common-road steam-carriage.

a

nine or ten years ago, the newspapers of
the day teemed with paragraphs upon
the subject, in various shapes and guises,
and amongst others it was stated that
wagers to the amount of many thousands
of pounds were depending-that there
would be no other kind of vehicle in
use on the western road within
twelvemonth! The experiments then
made were, indeed, extremely promising
in appearance, and seem alike to have
deceived the sharpness of the knowing-
ones of the sporting world, and the wis-
dom of a committee of legislators. But,
with slight exceptions, if exceptions they
can be called, the projectors have never
gone beyond experiment, and, as far as
can be judged from appearance, the car-
riages first brought on the road perform-
ed as well as those which succeeded them.
The natural inquiry hence arises, what
are the hidden causes which have pre-
vented the application of these favoura-
ble experiments to actual public opera-
tion? How is it that steam-carriage in-
ventors have, during the last fourteen
years, one after another appeared upon the
stage, each played his short part, received
the plaudits or hisses of the spectators,
and retired behind the scenes, either to
be visible no more, or perhaps to return
after an interval, and amuse the public
with another ride across the stage, before
his final exit? And, with one exception,
this is the epitome of the history of all
the steam-carriage projectors. For an
answer to the above queries, we beg to
refer our readers to the evidence given
before the Parliamentary committee on
Mr. Gurney's claims to a national reward
for his exertions to introduce steam-car-
riages on common roads,*-as far as re-

*See Mechanics' Magazine, vol. 22, pp. 303, 323. "Narrative of Twelve Years' Experiments1824-36,-demonstrative of the Practicability and advantage of employing Steam-carriages on Common Roads; with Engravings and Descriptions of the different Steam-carriages constructed by the Author, his Patent Boiler, Wedge-wheels, and other Inventions. By Walter Hancock, Engineer. Weale, Holborn, and Mann, Cornhill." 8vo. pp. 104.

gards that gentleman, and for further information, with regard to the inventor forming the exception we have just made, and who was first upon the stage, and still continues to play his part, we turn to the volume now under review.

We believe it will be most satisfactory to our readers, and to Mr. Hancock, to allow him to speak for himself. We shall, therefore, extract largely from his Narrative, which, we hope, will give no offence, presuming his object in writing to be publicity, rather than profit.

It may be necessary to premise, that although the title-page bears the date of 1838, the hody of the work is stated at the end to have been printed two years ago, and the introduction is dated from Stratford, October, 1836. The reason of this delay in its publication does not appear; and, it is certan, that had it been brought forward at the time it was written, it would have been more serviceable to the author than it can now be. The work was written at the time when Mr. Gurney applied to Parliament for compensation for his losses of other people's money, as the inventor of common-road locomotion; and it is to this Mr. Hancock refers, in the following extract from his introduction :

"The author believes he should offend alike against truth and genuine modesty, were he to yield to any of the steam-carriage inventors who have appeared in his day, in a single particular of desert; he began earlier (with one abortive exception) and has persevered longer and more unceasingly than any of them; he was the first to run a steam carriage for hire on a common road, and is still the only person who has ventured in a steam vehicle to traverse the most crowded streets of the metropolis at the busiest periods of the day; he has built a greater number of steam carriages (if not better) than any one else, and has been thus enabled to try a greater variety of forms of construction, out of which to choose the best; and all that he has done, has been with his own means chiefly, while his rivals-the more prominent of them at least-have been largely assisted by others. He has never, however, been an obtrusive suitor for the favour of the public-neither pestered it with boastful pamphlets, nor with wild exaggerations; he has been all along more anxious that his works should speak for him, than he for them. His steam carriages running on the public roads, have been his best witnesses. He has been occasionally obliged to address the public journals, for the purpose of cor

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