July 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2237

-described. In the case of a building such as a schoolroom, having the floor constructed with galleries or stepped portions on which the seats are placed, the pipes are carried to the highest part of the floor, and thence the pipes are carried the whole length of the room for as many times as required. The pipes are fitted to the front of the galleries or stepped portions of the floor, starting at the highest and coming down at the ends to the next gallery, and so on in succession. The pipes are then carried to the front of the room, where sufficient pipe-surface is exposed to give the required temperature, and thence to the outlet, or the condensed steam may be trapped and carried up to and discharge into an overhead tank, the condensed steam first passing through a coil condenser located in said tank, the warm water passing thence back to the boiler. The pipes are fitted neatly to the galleries with clips, allowing room for sweeping, and having a slight fall to the outlet. Taps are also fitted to allow of all the water being drawn off at any time to prevent rupture through frost. In the case of a room without galleries, the pipes are neatly disposed round the skirting-boards and under seats and tables, and protected by gratings. Where it is not convenient to lay the pipes in the room to be heated, the pipes may be laid under the floors, and vents or openings made in the floor, such openings being carried above the floor to prevent dust falling down, and a grating is fitted over each opening. The naked pipes may be located under the floor in sections, and supplied with steam through small insulated pipes, the said sections or groups or coils of naked pipes having full-size outlets.

[NOTE.—The above extract from the specification is inserted in place of the claims.]

(Specification, 3s. 9d.)

No. 21427.—11th July, 1906.—UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, of Paterson, State of New Jersey, United States of America, a corporation duly organized under the laws of said State of New Jersey, and having a place of business at 205 Lincoln Street, Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States of America (assignees of Erastus Edwin Winkley, of Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, Mechanical Engineer). Improvements in or relating to the supporting and positioning of the work in machines used in the manufacture of boots and shoes.*

Extract from Specification.—The present invention contemplates the provision in a machine for operating upon boots and shoes of a jack for supporting the shoes and means for relatively actuating the jack and the portion of the machine-frame in which the operating tool or tools are mounted to bring the shoe into the proper position with relation to the tool or tools as the point of operation of the tool or tools is transferred around the shoe. The relative movements of the shoe-supporting jack and the portion of the machine-frame which supports the tool or tools may be produced by moving either the frame of the machine or the jack, and consist of tipping movements to maintain the portion of the sole in proximity to the tool or tools in the proper plane with relation to the tool or tools, and of lateral turning movements to maintain the edge of the sole parallel to the line of feed. In a machine in which the shoe is manipulated by the operator, the tipping movements and lateral turning movements which are imparted to the shoe take place about the point of operation of the tool or tools as a centre, and thus the movements imparted to the shoe do not displace the shoe with relation to the tools. In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the relative movements which are imparted to the jack and the portion of the frame which supports the tool or tools take place about a centre substantially coincident with the point of operation of the tool, so that the machine in its operation approximates very closely the operation of a machine in which the shoe is manipulated by hand, no substantial displacement of the shoe with relation to the tools being produced by the relative movements, and the work is performed in as satisfactory a manner as when the shoe is manipulated by hand, and the results produced are more uniform. In addition to the features of invention above referred to, the present invention also consists in certain devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts described, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The present invention may be embodied in any machine for operating upon boots and shoes in which the shoe is supported upon a jack and the point of operation of the tool or tools is transferred around the shoe. In the best form of the invention which has yet been devised, however, it is embodied in a shoe-sewing machine adapted for sewing together the upper and insole of a turn shoe, or the upper, insole, and welt of a welted shoe.

[NOTE.—The above extract from the specification is inserted in place of the claims.]

(Specification, £1 3s. 9d.; drawing, 12s.)

No. 21455.—17th July, 1906.—JOHN ALFRED MERRETT, of Grey Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Improvements in apparatus for treating New Zealand flax.*

Claims.—(1.) In combination with a flax-stripper, a funnel below the stripper and adapted to catch the fibre as it falls therefrom, means for conveying fibre from the funnel, a peg on which the conveying mechanism deposits the fibre, an endless belt mounted on rollers in a water-tank, and holders projecting from the belt and adapted to take the fibre from the peg, substantially as set forth. (2.) In mechanism described in claim 1, the employment of a tube around the rim of the funnel, and supplied with water under pressure, and holes from the tube into the funnel, high-pressure water-jets for further cleansing the fibre and forcing downwards upon the peg, substantially as set forth. (3.) The combination and arrangement of parts comprising the improvements in apparatus for treating New Zealand flax, substantially as and for the purposes specified and illustrated in the drawing.

(Specification, 5s.; drawing, 2s.)

No. 21456.—17th July, 1906.—JOHN ALFRED MERRETT, of Grey Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Improvements in apparatus for handling the fibres of New Zealand flax.*

Claims.—(1.) For the purpose indicated, rotatable arms adapted to fall vertically, and a fixed cam guiding the arms from a horizontal to a vertical position, and vice versa, substantially as set forth. (2.) In combination with arms and a cam described in claim 1, fingers pivoted on the extremity of the arms, and means for operating the fingers, substantially as set forth. (3.) In combination with arms and fingers described in claim 2, rods connected to the fingers, springs in compression on the rods, bosses on the rods, pins projecting from the bosses, and a cam contacting with the pins and releasing them when the arms are vertical, substantially as set forth. (4.) For the purpose indicated, rotatable bifurcated arms adapted to fall vertically, fingers pivoted upon the extremities of the bifurcations, bifurcated links pivoted to the fingers, means for operating the links, and a shield for preventing flax from contacting with the links, substantially as set forth. (5.) The combination and arrangement of parts comprising the improvements in apparatus for handling the fibres of New Zealand flax, substantially as and for the purposes specified, and as illustrated in the drawing.

(Specification, 6s.; drawing, 3s.)

No. 21542.—31st July, 1906.—CHARLES RICHARD MASSEY, of Auckland, New Zealand, Engineer. An improved frame for use in the formation of reinforced-concrete piles and like structures.*

Claim.—The improved frame for use in the formation of reinforced-concrete piles and like structures, comprising corner bars having brackets formed thereon, with sockets formed within the brackets, and rods extending transversely between the corner bars, and having their ends fitting within the sockets of the brackets, substantially as specified.

(Specification, 1s. 9d.; drawing, 1s.)

No. 21558.—27th July, 1906.—ALFRED ORR, of Balfour Southland, New Zealand, Farmer. An improved turnip-thinning attachment.*

Claims.—(1.) The combination with a ridging-machine or the like of a separate attachable turnip-thinning apparatus, adjustable to the inequalities of the ground, substantially as described. (2.) The combination with a ridging-machine or the like of a turnip-thinning apparatus connected at one end to the machine, and having its other end carrying the hoes, and suspended from the machine by a spring so that the end carrying the hoes may be depressed to adjust the hoes to inequalities of the ground, substantially as described. (3.) The combination with a turnip-thinning apparatus of a shield (25) for preventing the thinned-out plants from being thrown into the adjoining drills, substantially as described. (4.) The complete turnip-thinning apparatus for attachment to a ridging-machine or the like, substantially as described or illustrated in the drawings.

(Specification, 3s.; drawing, 1s.)

No. 21581.—3rd August, 1906.—ROBERT MARTIN CROSBIE, of 341 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, New Zealand, Engineer. Improved machine for grinding flax-beater roller.*

Claim.—In an improved machine for grinding flax-beater rollers of the kind described, in combination, a cast-iron sole-plate No. 1, with fork-bracket and pivot-snugs, pulley No. 3, with adjustable bearings No. 7, and