>>> YOU ARE VIEWING A 200 LINE SAMPLE OF EBOOK# E07082 <<< TITLE: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT, NO 324, MAR 18, 1882 AUTHOR: VARIOUS EBOOK: E07082 (O'Briens Book Cellar) LANGUAGE: ENGLISH [Illustration] SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT NO. 324 NEW YORK, MARCH 18, 1882 Scientific American Supplement. Vol. XIII, No. 324. Scientific American established 1845 Scientific American Supplement, $5 a year. Scientific American and Supplement, $7 a year. * * * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS--Machine Tools for Boiler Makers. 2 figures.--Improved boiler plate radial drill.--Improved boiler plate bending roller. Modern Ordnance. By COLONEL MAITLAND.--Rifled cannon.--Built guns.--Steel castings.--Breech loading.--Long guns.--Slow burning of powder.--Breech closers.--Projectiles.--Destructive power of guns. Oscillating Cylinder Locomotive. 2 figures.--Shaw's oscillating cylinder locomotive. Gas Motors and Producers. By C. W. SIEMENS--2 figures. The Bazin System of Dredging. By A. A. LANGLEY.--3 figures. II. CHEMISTRY.--On the Mydriatic Alkaloids. By ALBERT LADENBERG. --I. Atropine.--II. The Atropine of Datura Stramonium. --III. Hyoscyamine from Hyoscyamus. Detection of Small Quantities of Morphia. By A. JORISSEN. The Estimation of Manganese by Titration. By C. G. SARNSTROM. On the Estimation and Separation of Manganese. By NELSON H. DARTON. Delicate Test for Oxygen. Determination of Small Quantities of Arsenic in Sulphur. By H. SCHAEPPI. III. BIOLOGY, ETC.--Researches on Animals Containing Chlorophyl. --Abstract of a long and valuable paper "On the Nature and Functions of the Yellow Cells of Radiolarians and Coelenterates," read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. By PATRICK GEDDES. The Hibernation of Animals, An interesting review of the winter habits of some of our familiar animals, insects, etc. IV. HORTICULTURE, SILK CULTURE, ETC.--How to Plant Trees. By N. ROBERTSON. The Growth of Palms. The Future of Silk Culture in the United States. Report of United States Consul Peixotto, of Lyons. A valuable and encouraging summary of the conditions and prospects of silk culture in the United States. V. TECHNOLOGY, ETC.--Compressed Oil Gas for Lighting Cars, Steamboats, and Buoys. An elaborate description of the apparatus and appliances of the Pintsch system of illumination. 14 figures. Elevation and plan of works.--Cars.--Locomotive and car lamps.--Buoys.--Regulations, etc. VI. ART, ARCHITECTURE, ETC.--Cast Iron in Architecture. VII. ELECTRICITY, MAGNETISM, ETC.--On the Mechanical Production of Electric Currents. 12 figures. Rousse's Secondary Battery. VIII. MISCELLANEOUS.--Dangers from Lightning in Blasting. The Tincal Trade of Asia. Sir W. Palliser. Obituary and summary of his inventions. The Tides. Influence of the tides upon the history of the earth. Drilling Glass. * * * * * MACHINE TOOLS FOR BOILER-MAKERS. We give this week an engraving of a radial drilling machine designed especially for the use of boiler-makers, this machine, together with the plate bending rolls, forming portion of a plant constructed for Messrs. Beesley and Sons, boiler makers, of Barrow-in-Furness. [Illustration: IMPROVED BOILER PLATERADIAL DRILL.] This radial drill, which is a tool of substantial proportions, is adapted not only for ordinary drilling work, but also for turning the ends of boiler shells, for cutting out of flue holes tube boring, etc. As will be seen from our engraving, the pillar which supports the radial arm is mounted on a massive baseplate, which also carries a circular table 6 ft. in diameter, this table having a worm-wheel cast on it as shown. This table is driven by a worm gearing into the wheel just mentioned. On this table boiler ends up to 8 ft. in diameter can be turned up, the turning tool being carried by a slide rest, which is mounted on the main baseplate, as shown, and which is adjustable vertically and radially. For cutting out flue holes a steel boring head is employed, this head having a round end which fits into the center of the table. When this work is being done the radial arm is brought into the lowest position. Flue holes 40 in. in diameter can thus be cut out. The machine has a 4 in. steel spindle with self-acting variable feed motion through a range of 10 in., and the radial arm is raised or lowered by power through a range of 2 ft. 8 in. When the arm is in its highest position there is room for a piece of work 4 ft. high between the circular table and the lower end of the spindle. The circular table serves as a compound table for ordinary work, and the machine is altogether a very useful one for boiler-makers. The plate-bending rolls, which are illustrated on first page, are 10 ft. long, and are made of wrought iron, the top roll being 12 in. and the two bottom rolls 10 in. in diameter. Each of the bottom rolls carries at its end a large spur-wheel, these spur-wheels, which are on opposite sides of the machine, each gearing into a pinion on a shaft which runs from end to end below the rolls, and which is itself geared to the shaft carrying the belt pulleys, as shown. This is a very simple and direct mode of driving, and avoids the necessity for small wheels on the rolls. There is no swing frame, but the top roll is arranged to draw through between the arms of the spur-wheels, a very substantially framed machine being thus obtained. [Illustration: IMPROVED BOILER PLATE BENDING ROLLER.] The chief novelty in the machine is the additional roll provided under the ordinary bottom rolls. This extra roll, which is used for straightening old plates and for bending small tubes, pipes, etc., is made of steel, and is 7 in. in diameter by 5 ft. long. It is provided with a swing frame at one end to allow of taking-off pipes when bent, etc., and it is altogether a very useful addition. The machine we illustrate weighs 11 tons, and is all self-contained, the standards being mounted on a strong bedplate, which also carries the bearings for the shaft with fast and loose pulleys, belt gear, etc. Thus no foundation is required.--_Engineering_. * * * * * MODERN ORDNANCE. [Footnote: A paper read Feb. 8, 1882, before the Society of Arts, London.] By COLONEL MAITLAND. A great change has lately been taking place throughout Europe in the matter of armaments. Artillery knowledge has been advancing "by leaps and bounds;" and all the chief nations are vying with each other in the perfection of their _materiel_ of war. As a readiness to fight is the best insurance for peace, it behooves us to see from time to time how we stand, and the present moment is a peculiarly suitable one for taking stock of our powers and capabilities. I propose, therefore, to give you, this evening, a brief sketch of the principles of manufacture of modern guns, at home and abroad, concluding with a few words on their employment and power. The introduction of rifled cannon into practical use, about twenty years ago, caused a complete revolution in the art of gun-making. Cast iron and bronze were found no longer suitable for the purpose. Cast iron was too brittle to sustain the pressure of the powder gas, when its duration was increased by the use of elongated projectiles; while the softness of bronze was ill adapted to retain the nicety of form required by accurate rifling. From among a cloud of proposals, experiments, and inventions, two great systems at length disentangled themselves. They were the English construction of built-up wrought iron coils, and the Prussian construction of solid steel castings. Wrought-iron, as you are all aware, is nearly pure iron, containing but a trace of carbon. Steel, as used for guns, contains from 0.3 to 0.5 per cent of carbon; the larger the quantity of carbon, the harder the steel. Since the early days of which I am now speaking, great improvement has taken place in the qualities of both materials, but more especially in that of steel. Still the same general characteristics were to be noted, and it may be broadly stated, that England chose confessedly the weaker material, as being more under control, cheaper, and safer to intrust with the lives of men; while Prussia selected the stronger but less manageable substance, in the hope of improving its uniformity, and <<< END OF SAMPLE... (THE FULL EBOOK HAS 246104 TOTAL CHARACTERS) >>>