Mar. 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 621

strainer supported on a valve-tube 24 at entrance to filter, a hollow shaft 22 connected with same and carrying loose bevel pinion connected with barrel carrying scrapers, brushes, and wipers, a branch pipe 21 (with extensions) connected with cylinder, a sleeve 32 on hollow shaft, a pin 36 projected from the sleeve, a bevel pinion 35 on the pin, a sleeve 40 connected with bevel pinion 35, and having square portion 41, a rod 42 having square end entering sleeve, a valve on the rod 42 and a handle for actuating it whereby the bevel gear is actuated and the barrel rotated, while the valve will rise or fall, on turning of screw-rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. (9.) The combination and arrangement of the parts substantially as described with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings. (10.) The alternative combination and arrangement of the parts substantially as described with reference to and illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings.
(Specification, 8s.; drawings, 3s.)

No. 13030.—27th September, 1900.—LAMBERT VAN LAAK, of 3178, 17th Street, San Francisco, California, United States of America, Manufacturer; and HUGH CRAIG, of 210, Sansome Street, San Francisco aforesaid, Merchant; and WILLIAM SWINTON LAURIE, of Auckland, New Zealand, Merchant. The manufacturing and production of brooms, brushware, and scrubbers, of each and every kind and description, from the leaves and fibre of the Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax).*

Claims.—(1.) A process of preparing the Phormium tenax for manufacture into brushes or brooms, consisting in first splitting the leaves into strips or fibres, separating them into approximately equal sizes, then bleaching the strips. (2.) A material for the manufacture of brushes and brooms as a new article of manufacture, consisting of the Phormium tenax split into narrow strips of graded sizes, and bleached.
(Specification, 1s. 3d.)

No. 13212.—5th December, 1900.—JOHN WILLISON, of 83, Becker Street, Derby, England, Pattern-maker. Improvements in couplers and buffers for railway cars.

Claims.—(1.) In a coupler for railway-carriages, the combination with a knuckle, of a knuckle-opening piece without fixed pivot moving in a substantially vertical plane within the coupler-head behind the knuckle, and means of moving back the lower end of the piece and of tipping its upper end forwards against the knuckle, substantially as described. (2.) In a coupler having a knuckle-lock, an opening-lever made with a shoulder engaging and raising the lock, and with a nose engaging and moving the knuckle, this lever having no fixed pivot, but having guides leading it towards an upright position and permitting it to be tipped, substantially as described. (3.) In combination with the coupler-head and coupler-knuckle, a lock carried by the tail and having a head, a stop-shoulder in the coupler-head engaged by the head of the lock, and a second stop-shoulder engaged by the other end of the lock, substantially as described. (4.) The construction of the coupler-head with an inclined surface and stop-shoulders so arranged that on the return of the knuckle the lock is raised by the incline above the stop-shoulders, substantially as described. (5.) For working the coupler, a lever at the side of the car, having its fulcrum connected to the coupler-head and mounted on a laterally movable hanger, a rod extending from one end of the lever to the coupler, and a rod extending from the other end of the lever to a hanger at the other side of the car, substantially as described. (6.) A coupler for railway-carriages constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 18, inclusive. (7.) In combination with the buffing draw-head of a railway vehicle, a spring arranged to be compressed by the forward movement of the draw-head, and a second spring which, as well as the first, is compressed by the rearward movement of the draw-head, substantially as described. (8.) In combination with or in substitution for the ordinary draw-bar and buffers of a railway vehicle, a coupler b constructed to act also as a central buffer, a spring c for it, and a pair of levers k connecting this spring with either the ordinary draw-spring g or with an equivalent spring f in such a manner that the buffer-motion is partly taken on the compression of the spring c and partly in the movement of that spring and in the compression of the draw-bar or other spring f, so that a large buffing-stroke is effected with moderate action on the springs, substantially as described. (9.) In combination with the coupler-head b, a pair of springs p arranged to act on lateral arms of the coupler when it is moved to either side, and to restore it to middle position, substantially as described.
(Specification, 12s.; drawings, 10s.)

No. 13221.—3rd December, 1900.—ALFRED GEORGE OCKENDEN, of Auckland, New Zealand, Music-instrument Dealer. Music-sheet or book holder and carrier.

Claim.—In a sheet-music holder or bag, the folding of the lower part over the upper part, with the flap secured over the lower part by straps, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described and illustrated.
(Specification, 1s. 3d.; drawing, 1s.)

No. 13267.—21st February, 1901.—ANDREW CHARLES POCOCK, of Dannevirke, New Zealand, Plumber; and EDWIN TOMS, of Palmerston North, New Zealand, Commercial Traveller. Improvements in acetylene-gas generators.

Claims.—(1.) Exhaust-pipe CC, connected to trap-screw C, and working in combination with holder B. (2.) The levers D and valve DD, working in combination with holder B and water-supply pipe E. (3.) Revolving carbide-cells H with pivots attached, supported by rods J in the slits JJ. (4.) Shield I and check-valve II, working in combination with water-supply pipe E. (5.) Revolving fastenings N with thumb-screw attached, working in combination with cover-lids of chambers G.
(Specification, 1s. 6d.; drawings, 1s.)

No. 13331.—24th January, 1901.—JOHN JAMISON, of Princes Street, Dunedin, New Zealand, Draper. An improved tidal-power motor.

Claims.—(1.) A tidal-power motor consisting of two or more reservoirs and two or more water-wheels, constructed and operating continuously, as substantially set forth in the drawings and specifications. (2.) In retaining a sufficient quantity of water at flood-tide, and in providing means for the disposal of same, whilst it operates on the motors at adverse stages of the tide when it would otherwise be impossible to do so, as described and set forth. (3.) In a plurality of reservoirs and motors, in which all the water-power is utilised during both ingress and egress, and in which it is made to perform from two- to seven-fold duty in the interval, as set forth in the drawings and specifications.
(Specification, 1s. 9d.; drawings, 1s.)

No. 13336.—21st May, 1900.—CHARLES ALBERT KELLER, of 88, Rue du Rocher, Paris, France, Engineer. Improvements in electrical furnaces.

[NOTE.—This is an application under section 106 of the Act, the date given being the official date of the application in France.]

Claims.—(1.) An improved electric furnace in which two sole-plates are combined to form electrodes in a single furnace, each of said sole-plates being respectively connected to one of the terminals of the source of electricity, in such a manner that the electric current flowing from one sole-plate to the other through the material to be treated can heat the same to incandescence and fusion, substantially as set forth. (2.) In an electric furnace of the type set forth, the arrangement upon the two sole-plates of movable carbons supported by the fixed carbons, the said movable carbons being the only replaceable electrodes, and preferably composed of the fragments of electrodes otherwise useless for the industry, substantially as set forth. (3.) In an electric furnace of the type set forth, a sole-plate formed of a plurality of fixed carbons receiving the electric current by contact on their faces by means of thin copper conductors in the manner set forth, and transmitting the same to small electrodes placed loosely upon them, the melting-bed of this sole-plate being separated from the chamber containing the electric contacts by means of a floor of refractory material preventing the heating of the contacts by conduction, and permitting the said contacts to be accessible and capable of refrigeration, if requisite, substantially as set forth. (4.) In an electric furnace of the type set forth, the arrangement of a melting-bed between two mobile sole-plates in such a manner as to admit of the resistance of the furnace being regulated by the moving towards or from one another of the said mobile sole-plates, and the avoidance, if necessary, of contact of the material treated with the carbons of the sole-plates; said sole-plates having metallic contact-pieces passing through channels formed in the brickwork of the furnace-bed in such a manner as to prevent the falling-down of the conducting body or of the material treated, substantially as set forth. (5.) The improved electric furnace with or without hermetically sealed fusion-chamber, constructed as described and illustrated, with reference to the drawings.
(Specification, 9s.; drawings, 2s.)