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An improved distilling apparatus for steamships
Items and ~ovelties.
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edly injurious to the latter, and that coal gas acts as an active destructive poison to vegetation. A n I m p r o v e d D i s t i l l i n g A p p a r a t u s .for [email protected]'s Process.--The following description details certain improvements upon~ the excellent p],m of a distiller for s~eamships devised by Gee. W. Baird, U.S.N., of which an illustrated account was published in Vol. I,X, p. 96, of the " Journal "': "A seamless, llattened copper tube is coiled through an iron vessel, with the steam and air entering at the upper end. and the fl'esh aerated water discharging at the.lower end. The condensation takes place inside the tube, while the sea-water is circulated outside, entering at the bottom and discharging at the top. "A larger amount of steam could be condensed outside the tube, but the shell, being heated by the s~eam, would conduct heat to the water after it fell to the bottom of the shell. " T h e tube is flattened in order to present a greater condensing area within the same volume of condenser. Both ends of the coil are fastened to the same head (or bonnet), in order to facilitate repairs, for only one joint need be broken to remove the whole coil from the shell. " T h e r e are no joints inside the condenser, so that no leaks can occur unless the coil should burst. The pressure inside the coil is seldom greater than two pounds per square inch, while the external pressure is never more than five. Each coil is tested at fifty pounds pressure before it is used. The, coils are tinned inside and out. Their form
:228
.Editorial.
adapts them admirably to resist cracks and breaks caused by sudden changes of' tetnper~}ture, and also to give the condensed water a ful~ and easy flow by its own gravity. " The aerator, in its action, is essentially the same as described ir~ the 'Journal' for August, 1870. A current of steam entering at a (fig. 1), induces an air current, which enters through the small holes, b' b'. The qu~ntity of air can readily be regulated by tile ring, C, which is heht by the jam nut. It is advisable to employ an excess of air, as it slightly increases the condensation and adds materially to the cooling power of' the condenser, besides supersaturating the water with air. This excess is blowa from the blow-plpe upon the filterer, as it would require a large " head" to force it, with the water, through the long pipe into the ship's tanks. "The filterer is provided with a perforated plate, upon which rests animal charcoal. The water after p~ssiag through the charcoal must rise several inches in the other side of the filterer before it can be discharged. These precautions are taken to prevent the pipe choking with charcoal."
Progress of the Anthracite Coal Trade of Pennsylvania, ~ T h e accompanying plate, which represents graphically and numerically the progressive development of' the anthr~,eite coal t.rade of Pennsylvania, has been prepared by 3It. P. W. Sheafcr, of Pottsville, Pa. In addition, he has also filrnished the following statistical information of historical and commercial interest: 1768 Anthracite coal first used in Wyoming Valley by Obadiah Gore. (Blacksmith.) 1775 &517"76 Several boat loads of anthracite coal were sent from Wyoming down the Susquehanna and thence hauled to the Carlisle Barracks to manufacture arms. 1790 Coal first known in Schuylkill County. 1794 Blacksmiths used it in Schuylkill County. 1808 Used in gra~es by Judge Fell, of Wilkesbarre. 1812 Col. Gee. Shoemaker hauled nine wagon loads of coal from Pottsville to Philadelphia and gave away the coal 1814 Chas. Miner sent an ark load, 24 ~ons of coal, from Man& Chunk, via the Lehigh and Delaware, to Philadelphia. 1.815 Schuylkill navigation commenced. 1820 365 tons of coal shipped by the Lehigh Canal. ~/?he Schuylkill trade opened in 1822~ and that of the Wyoming region, now by far the largest, in 1829.
230
.Editorial.
and that Her Majesty's Government be requested to inquire of foreign and' colonial Governments whether they are ready to cone,lr in International a r rangementsin relationthcreto." Thrcc modes of procedure are presented for consideration : (1) An International conference; (2) Correspondence between the ministries of the various States and Colonies; (3) Communications between heads of the different patent offices. Some of the desired objects, it is thought, may be obtained by an assimilation of the ofticia.l rules, as the patent laws in m~ny States are similar in principle, though legislation may be requi. site to secure ~ substantial nniformity in the practice under the various systems. The deputation are of opinion that the grant of Letters Patent should be confined, as recommcoded in the ninth resolution of the Select Committee, to " ori~imH inventors, ti~eir assignees, nr t~uthorized agents," and they reKard the recognition of the rights of the authors of ioventions as indispensable to ~a 7international system. They state that au organized practice of "pirating i, inventions exists, whereby ibreigu inventors are often deprived of their rights by "first iml)orters," who anticipate them in their applications for English F~.teats. The deputation submit these suggestions, whichuccord,~heystate, witl~ the recommendations of'the Select Committee, and they respectflfliy ask t h a t e,~rly action may be taken by the Government calculated to secure uniformity in the various systems of granting patents for new inventions.
THE ILLINOIS AND ST, LOUIS BRIDGE, We arc permitted to ]~y before the re~ders of the Journal the f o l lowing statement of the present state of the wm'k upon this structure, for the facts of which we are indebted to the courtesy of Col. J a m e s :B. Eads, the Chief Engineer of the bridge. The entire masonry of the bridge will be completed during t h e month of October next. The west'abutment, the west pier, and t h e extensive line of masonry constituting the west approach, e x t e n d i n g to Third street in St. Louis, are all completed. 3_'he east channel p i e r is built up to the top of the upper skewbaeks of the arches. The e a s t abutment pier is up to the level of the railway tracks, and the e a s t approach across the wharf is nearly completed. Of the entire 1 0 2 , 000 cubic yards of masonry contained in the completed s t r u c t u r e , only six thousand remain to be laid. The superstructure is being rapidly pushed forward in the K e y sterne Bridge Works at Pittsburgh, and several shipments:of it h a v e been received at St. Louis. Three of" the skewbacks, with their s t e e l tubes attached, are already put up in their respective places on t h e west abutment. These constitute the first members of the great s t e e l arch that will span the openil~g (500 feet wide) between the west a b u t ment and the west channel pier. This arch will require about 3 4 0 steel tuhes~ such as those now in position in these three skewbacl~s,
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edly injurious to the latter, and that coal gas acts as an active destructive poison to vegetation. A n I m p r o v e d D i s t i l l i n g A p p a r a t u s .for [email protected]'s Process.--The following description details certain improvements upon~ the excellent p],m of a distiller for s~eamships devised by Gee. W. Baird, U.S.N., of which an illustrated account was published in Vol. I,X, p. 96, of the " Journal "': "A seamless, llattened copper tube is coiled through an iron vessel, with the steam and air entering at the upper end. and the fl'esh aerated water discharging at the.lower end. The condensation takes place inside the tube, while the sea-water is circulated outside, entering at the bottom and discharging at the top. "A larger amount of steam could be condensed outside the tube, but the shell, being heated by the s~eam, would conduct heat to the water after it fell to the bottom of the shell. " T h e tube is flattened in order to present a greater condensing area within the same volume of condenser. Both ends of the coil are fastened to the same head (or bonnet), in order to facilitate repairs, for only one joint need be broken to remove the whole coil from the shell. " T h e r e are no joints inside the condenser, so that no leaks can occur unless the coil should burst. The pressure inside the coil is seldom greater than two pounds per square inch, while the external pressure is never more than five. Each coil is tested at fifty pounds pressure before it is used. The, coils are tinned inside and out. Their form
:228
.Editorial.
adapts them admirably to resist cracks and breaks caused by sudden changes of' tetnper~}ture, and also to give the condensed water a ful~ and easy flow by its own gravity. " The aerator, in its action, is essentially the same as described ir~ the 'Journal' for August, 1870. A current of steam entering at a (fig. 1), induces an air current, which enters through the small holes, b' b'. The qu~ntity of air can readily be regulated by tile ring, C, which is heht by the jam nut. It is advisable to employ an excess of air, as it slightly increases the condensation and adds materially to the cooling power of' the condenser, besides supersaturating the water with air. This excess is blowa from the blow-plpe upon the filterer, as it would require a large " head" to force it, with the water, through the long pipe into the ship's tanks. "The filterer is provided with a perforated plate, upon which rests animal charcoal. The water after p~ssiag through the charcoal must rise several inches in the other side of the filterer before it can be discharged. These precautions are taken to prevent the pipe choking with charcoal."
Progress of the Anthracite Coal Trade of Pennsylvania, ~ T h e accompanying plate, which represents graphically and numerically the progressive development of' the anthr~,eite coal t.rade of Pennsylvania, has been prepared by 3It. P. W. Sheafcr, of Pottsville, Pa. In addition, he has also filrnished the following statistical information of historical and commercial interest: 1768 Anthracite coal first used in Wyoming Valley by Obadiah Gore. (Blacksmith.) 1775 &517"76 Several boat loads of anthracite coal were sent from Wyoming down the Susquehanna and thence hauled to the Carlisle Barracks to manufacture arms. 1790 Coal first known in Schuylkill County. 1794 Blacksmiths used it in Schuylkill County. 1808 Used in gra~es by Judge Fell, of Wilkesbarre. 1812 Col. Gee. Shoemaker hauled nine wagon loads of coal from Pottsville to Philadelphia and gave away the coal 1814 Chas. Miner sent an ark load, 24 ~ons of coal, from Man& Chunk, via the Lehigh and Delaware, to Philadelphia. 1.815 Schuylkill navigation commenced. 1820 365 tons of coal shipped by the Lehigh Canal. ~/?he Schuylkill trade opened in 1822~ and that of the Wyoming region, now by far the largest, in 1829.
230
.Editorial.
and that Her Majesty's Government be requested to inquire of foreign and' colonial Governments whether they are ready to cone,lr in International a r rangementsin relationthcreto." Thrcc modes of procedure are presented for consideration : (1) An International conference; (2) Correspondence between the ministries of the various States and Colonies; (3) Communications between heads of the different patent offices. Some of the desired objects, it is thought, may be obtained by an assimilation of the ofticia.l rules, as the patent laws in m~ny States are similar in principle, though legislation may be requi. site to secure ~ substantial nniformity in the practice under the various systems. The deputation are of opinion that the grant of Letters Patent should be confined, as recommcoded in the ninth resolution of the Select Committee, to " ori~imH inventors, ti~eir assignees, nr t~uthorized agents," and they reKard the recognition of the rights of the authors of ioventions as indispensable to ~a 7international system. They state that au organized practice of "pirating i, inventions exists, whereby ibreigu inventors are often deprived of their rights by "first iml)orters," who anticipate them in their applications for English F~.teats. The deputation submit these suggestions, whichuccord,~heystate, witl~ the recommendations of'the Select Committee, and they respectflfliy ask t h a t e,~rly action may be taken by the Government calculated to secure uniformity in the various systems of granting patents for new inventions.
THE ILLINOIS AND ST, LOUIS BRIDGE, We arc permitted to ]~y before the re~ders of the Journal the f o l lowing statement of the present state of the wm'k upon this structure, for the facts of which we are indebted to the courtesy of Col. J a m e s :B. Eads, the Chief Engineer of the bridge. The entire masonry of the bridge will be completed during t h e month of October next. The west'abutment, the west pier, and t h e extensive line of masonry constituting the west approach, e x t e n d i n g to Third street in St. Louis, are all completed. 3_'he east channel p i e r is built up to the top of the upper skewbaeks of the arches. The e a s t abutment pier is up to the level of the railway tracks, and the e a s t approach across the wharf is nearly completed. Of the entire 1 0 2 , 000 cubic yards of masonry contained in the completed s t r u c t u r e , only six thousand remain to be laid. The superstructure is being rapidly pushed forward in the K e y sterne Bridge Works at Pittsburgh, and several shipments:of it h a v e been received at St. Louis. Three of" the skewbacks, with their s t e e l tubes attached, are already put up in their respective places on t h e west abutment. These constitute the first members of the great s t e e l arch that will span the openil~g (500 feet wide) between the west a b u t ment and the west channel pier. This arch will require about 3 4 0 steel tuhes~ such as those now in position in these three skewbacl~s,