compass. At this time the punch with the shank piece descends upon the gatherers, and the aperture of the gatherers now opening, allows the shank to be pressed into the hollow shell, carrying the edges of the florentine in with it, which becomes sound and firmly fixed by the last operation of the punch."—Inrolled in the Roll's Chapel office, September, 1829.

Specification drawn by Mr. Newton.

To JOSHUA BATES, of Bishopsgate-street Within, in the City of London, Merchant, in consequence of a communication made to him by a certain Foreigner residing abroad, being in the possession of a new process or method of whitening Sugars.-[Sealed 1st August, 1829.]

THE process of whitening sugars, specified under this patent, is a method of applying clear water so as to percolate through sugars, when either in a crystal state in the conical pots, after boiling, &c. or in the raw state, for the purpose of removing the colouring matter which is contained between the particles and crystals of the sugars, and is intended to be used instead of the usual method of claying, which is well known to possess many disadvantages. After describing the usual method of claying sugars, in order that the purport of his invention may be perfectly understood, the Patentee states that instead of using the 'batter' of pipe clay and water, as in common he uses, pans made of unglazed earthenware, and of a porous nature, (of the kind wine coolers are usually made), which pans are filled with clear water, and are placed upon the sugar in the conical mould pots, the water being

allowed to percolate through the interstaces cf these pans, and through the sugar, for the purpose of removing the colouring matter in a more even and regular manner than from the pipe-clay as in common; the pans are to be made of the same shape as the base or largest part of the conical pots, and may be made so as to nearly fill them, but this is not necessary, as a half inch space may be left between the outside of the pan and the inside of the conical pot. In Plate XI, fig. 12, is a plan view, and fig. 13, a section of that shaped pan, which the patentee recommends, that is with the sides a little inclining inwards, as it may be more readily moved from place to place, but the pans may be made with the sides perpendicular, as in figs. 14 & 15; then the patentee recommends that they should have two handles projecting upwards, as shewn in the figure. The advantages which this method possesses over the common mode of claying are, that the workman can continue the process of whitening until completed, without being obliged to move the pans, and consequently save the time taken up in removing the various layers of clay batter, and that the supply of water is more regular than from the clay, which, when first put on, gives out much more water than after it has been draining some time; and also that the sugar is not liable to be injured by the clay getting among it, or receiving a disagreeable taste or odour, which it is apt to get from clay which has been used several times. For whitening raw sugars in the conical shaped pots in common use, the patentee states that there is a great difficulty in getting the water to percolate through the sugar in an even and regular manner, as the water will make its way through it where least resistance is offered, and consequently the process is very imperfect, to obviate which the patentee uses shallow pots, which are divided into several conical compartments,

each having its own drip hole. One shaped pot, the bottom part of which is divided into seven compartments, each having a drip hole, is shewn in section, in fig. 16, and a plan view, looking in the mouth in fig. 17. Fig. 18, is a section of another pot, the hollow of which is divided into a greater number of small compartments, each having its own drip hole; by the use of these shaped pots the patentee states that he is enabled to get rid of the colouring matter more readily, and with less injury to the grain or crystals of the sugar. The patentee of course intends to use the pans containing the clear water before described; and he also states that the flow of water through the pores of the pans can be increased or retarded by having pans made of more or less porous material, or by putting sand or other materials into the bottom of the pans with the water, and thus retard its escape through the pan, and also that the conical mould pots may be quite filled with sugar, as it is not necessary to leave the space unoccupied which is taken up by the layer of clay and water in the common process of claying."-[Inrolled in the Inrolment Office, February, 1830.]

TO WILLIAM PRIOR, of Albany Road, Camberwell, in the county of Surrey, Gentleman, for his having invented or discovered certain improvements in the construction and combination of Machinery, for securing, supporting, and striking the top-masts and top-gallant-masts of Ships and other vessels.—[Sealed 11th April, 1829.]

SPECIFICATION.

"My improvements in the construction and combination of machinery for securing, supporting, and striking the

top-masts and top-gallant-masts of ships and other vessels, consists in the novel construction of an apparatus to be employed in place of the fid, usually applied to that purpose, which apparatus contains either a sliding or a swinging bolt, worked by a cam or excentric roller. The two kinds of bolt with the rotatory cam are shewn in the several figures in Plate XI.

Fig. 1, represents the parts in operation; a, is the top-mast, shewn partly in section, which is supported by the two sliding bolts, bb. The bolts slide in sockets or carriages, resting upon the tressels c, c, and their points being projected forward into recesses in the sides of the mast, as shewn in this figure, support it as long as the bolts are prevented from sliding back, but when the bolts are allowed to recede, as in figure 2, then the mast loses its support, and slides down between the tressels. The particular feature of novelty in this invention is the contrivance whereby the bolt is retained in its place, which is by means of a cam or executric roller, d. Part of the roller is made cylindrical, and concentric with its axle, which fits into a segment-formed recess at the back part of the bolt, and while the concentric part of the roller bears against the recess, the bolt is prevented from receding, and consequently the mast is supported as in fig. 1. On turning the roller d, round by a hand spike, as e, or by a winch to be applied to its axle, or by any other suitable contrivance, the executric part of the roller is brought against the recess behind the bolt, as at fig. 2, and the resistance being thus removed, the weight of the mast bearing upon the points of the bolts, causes them to slide back, and allow the mast to descend as in the act of striking.

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Fig. 3, shows a horizontal representation of the cross trees and tressels, with the top-mast, a, cut across in

section at the aperture where the points of the bolts enter; the bolts b, b, being projected forward as in figure 1. Figure 4, is a similar representation of the cross trees and tressels, the bolts being withdrawn, and the mast sliding down as in figure 2. In order to guide the bolts with certainty, a groove is cut in the upper part of each bolt, as shewn by dots in figures 1 and 2, for the purpose of receiving a concentric rib, carried round the excentric part of the cam, but I deem this rib and groove of little importance.

"My other contrivance, consisting of swinging bolts, is shewn in the drawings at figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. In fig. 5, as in fig. 1, a, is the top-mast, b, b, the bolts, swinging on pivots or axles, mounted in carriages, supported on the tressels, c, c. The excentric rollers, d, d, act against segment recesses at the backs of the swinging bolts, b, which confine them, and cause their points to support the mast, as in fig. 5. On turning the cam rollers round by a hand spike or other contrivance, the excentric part of the cam comes against the bolt, thereby releases it, when the weight of the mast bearing on the points of the bolts, causes them to descend, and the mast slides down as in fig. 6. The two horizontal views, figs. 7 and 8, represent the swinging bolt in the two positions, similar to the sliding bolt in figs. 3 and 4.

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Having described the construction of my improved apparatus for securing, supporting, and striking the topmasts and top-gallant-masts of ships, &c. I wish it to be understood that the particular feature of this invention, and that which I exclusively claim under the above recited Letters Patent, is the cam or excentric roller for holding or releasing the bolt, whether the same be applied to a sliding or a swinging bolt."-[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, October, 1829.]

Specification drawn by Mr. Newton.