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a method of purifying metals. Dated August 31.

Joseph Brindley, of Rochester, Kent, ship-builder; for a method of more effectually securing ships beams to their sides. Dated September 20.

Joseph Landells, of Radcliffe, in the parish of St. Dunstan, Stepney, Middlesex, shipwright; for a method of working pumps by machinery. Dated September 20.

Robert Dickinson, of Long-acre, in the parish of St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex; for improvements in the arts of working and making of the furniture, accoutrements, or apparatus, useful or necessary for the employment of horses, or otherwise relating to the same. Dated September 27.

William Plees, of Chelsea, Middlesex, gent.; for a method of manufacturing paper for various purposes. Dated September 27.

William Forder, of Portsea, Hants, purser in his majesty's navy; for a diving machine, to be used about shipping and in stopping holes and leaks in ships bottoms, and for other purposes. Dated October 2.

John Grimshaw, of Bishop Wearmouth, Durham, rope-maker, being one of the people called quakers; for improvements in machinery for laying ropes. Dated October 5.

Joseph Bramah, of Pimlico, Middlesex, engineer; for a machine for the purpose of producing straight, smooth, and parallel surfaces, on wood, and other materials. Dated October 30.

Augustus Frederick Thoelden, of St. Alban's-street, Pall Mall, Middlesex, esq.; for a mechanical apparatus for supporting the human body. Dated October 30.

James Smethurst, of St. Mar

garet's-hill, Southwark, Surrey, lamp manufacturer; and Nicholas Paul, of Villiers - street, Strand, mechanician; for improvements in lamps and reflectors. Dated Oc tober 30.

James How, of Bovingdon, near Hemel Hempstead, Herts, farmer; for a plough upon an improved

construction. Dated October 30.

Thomas Barnett, of East-street, Lambeth, Surrey, mathematical instrument-maker; for an invention whereby a requisite quantity of air will introduce itself into any vessel containing fluids, or a superabundant quantity of air therein discharge itself so as to preserve the fluid in a constant state for use. Dated November 6.

Robert Walker, of Union-street, St. Mary-le-bone, Middlesex; for dining tables upon an entire new construction. Dated November 6.

Henry Smith, lieutenant in his majesty's royal navy; for an improved vessel or barrel for a more safe and expeditious carriage and conveyance of gunpowder. Dated November 13.

Simon Huguenin, of Brook-street, Holborn, Middlesex; for a machine for accelerating motion with little friction, to be called The Universal Lever. Dated November 13.

Thomas Martin, of Brook-street, near Brentwood, Essex, saddler; for a method of applying fire, by means of certain machinery, for the purpose of heating liquors, and applying such liquors when heated to various useful purposes. Dated November 20.

Thomas Dawson, of James-street, Long-acre, Middlesex, tin-plate worker; for a lamp or lantern, upon an improved construction. Dated November 25.

William

▾ William Dobson, of St. Clement's Matthew Wyatt, of Queen AnnDanes, Middlesex, hardwareman; street East, Middlesex, esq.; for a for machinery for the purpose of fire-grate upon an improved conchasing away flies and venomous struction. Dated December 21. insects. Dated November 25.

Marc Isambard Brunel, of Gerrard-street, Soho, Middlesex, gent.; for trimmings or borders of muslin, lawn, or cainbric. Dated November 27.

James Roberts, of Portsea, Hants, mechanic; and Edward Brine, of the same place, coppersinith; for machinery for the purpose of dragging or locking the wheels of carriages of every description, and for instantaneously disengaging the horses therefrom. Dated November 29.

Alexander Ross, of Bishopsgatestreet, London, perfumer; for gentlemen's peruques or wigs. Dated November 29.

Daniel Craanor, a native of Holland, but now of the city of London, merchant; for a method of making verdigris in lumps or powder, with ingredients the produce of Great Britain, which will not only answer every purpose of foreign verdigris, but can be used as a water colour upon paper, &c. Dated November 30.

William Beer, of Ely-place, in the city of London, medical professor and dealer in medicine; for a medicine, and method of administering the same, for the more effectually and expeditiously curing the gout, rheumatism, &c. Dated December 9.

John Barnett, of Birmingham, Warwickshire, toy-maker; and Joseph Barnett, of the borough of Warwick, in the said county, cutler; for a new and improved method of making parasols and umbrellas. Dated December 21.

Thomas Saint, of the city of Bristol, engineer; for a method of increasing the effect of steam engines, and saving fuel in the working thereof. Dated December 21,

John Lewell, of Gresse-street, Rathbone-place, Middlesex, stovemaker; for a register stove upon improved principles. Dated December 21.

John Scott, and James Clarkson, of Lower-street, Islington, brickmakers; William Tatham, of Staples-inn-buildings, Holborn, esq.; and Samuel Mellish, of Holborncourt, Grays'-inn, gent.; for new invented articles, which they have denominated "Tatham's Clumps," for the purpose of constructing water pipes, sewers, tunnels, wells, conduits, reservoirs, or other circular walls, shells, or buildings. Dated December 21.

Michael Billingsley, of Birkinshaw, Yorkshire, engineer; for an instrument, engine, or machine, to be worked by steam, water, or horses, for the purpose of boring cylinders, &c. Dated December 22.

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ployed in preparing the paste, and increasing the beauty of the decorations. The ware itself is not of equal fineness with the French and Saxon; though its workmanship, and ornaments, are far superior. The paintings are, in general, rich, and well executed; and the gilding and burnishing exceedingly beautiful.

The body of the semi-vitreous ware, called porcelain, is fine white clay, combined with different proportions of fluxing matter. The best kind is absolutely infusible, and takes for its glaze a vitreous substance, without a particle of lead: when the paste is duly prepared, by grinding, and other operations, it is consigned to the workman, whose dexterity produces a variety of beautiful forms, from the shapeless mass delivered into his hands. Round vessels are usually made by a man called a thrower, who works them on a circular block, which moves horizontally on a vertical spindle. From him they pass to the lathe, and are reduced to their proper thickness and form at the end of an horizontal spindle. Afterwards they are finished, and handled, if necessary, by other persons, and are then conveyed to a stove, where they remain till the moisture is entirely evaporated, when they be come fit for baking. Oval vessels, such as tureens, teapots, &c. assume their form through being pressed into moulds of plaster, or gypsum, by hand. The saggars, or cases, in which the articles are burnt, are various in shape and dimensions, 'as best regards convenience. These are set in the kiln, or oven, one upon the other, and when piled up nearly to the top, have somewhat the appearance of piles of cheese. When

the kiln is full, it is carefully closed, and the ware baked, by the admission of heat through horizontal and vertical flues: this is the first baking; and the porcelain in this state is vulgarly called biscuit. It is then dipped in glaze of about the consistence of cream, and carried to the glaze kiln, where it is again baked, but in a less intense degree of heat than before.

The ware is now delivered to the painters, who, with colours prepared from mineral bodies, ornament it with landscapes or figures," according to the required patterns. After this process, it is again conveyed to the kiln, and the colours: vitrified, in order to fix and give them a proper degree of lustre. Every coat, or layer of colouring, requires a fresh burning: once or twice is sufficient for the ornaments of the common porcelain, but the more elaborate decorations render it necessary for the colours to be laid on, and undergo the action of fire several times, before they obtain their full effect and beauty. This completes the process of those articles that have no gold in their pat-. tern; but where this addition is wanted, they are penciled with a mixture of oil and gold dissolved, or thrown down, by quicksilver, aided by heat; and once more committed to the kiln. Here the gold reassumes solidity, but comes out with a dull surface, which is quickly rendered brilliant by rubbing with blood stones, and other polishing substances. The procelain is now ready for use; but it should be observed, that the latter part of the process requires considerable care, as the gold, when not sufficiently burnt, will separate in thin flakes; and when over fired, will not receive

a proper

a proper polish. The highest finished ware in this manufactory is frequently returned to the enainel kiln, where the colours are fluxed six or seven times: the best only is here finished for sale.

The making of biscuit figures, or white ware, is peculiar to this manufactory; and the pieces them selves are supposed to be equal in beauty and delicacy to any others of a similar kind made in Europe. Here the lathe is of no use, the figures being all cast in moulds of plaster or gypsum, into which the inaterials are poured, having previously been reduced to a liquid of the consistence and appearance of thick cream. The water contained in the mixture is quickly absorbed by the plaster, and the paste becomes sufficiently hard and tenacious to part freely from the mould. The various parts of the figures, as the head, arms, legs, &c. are cast in separate moulds, and, when dried and repaired, are joined by a paste of the same kind, but thinner than the former. The articles are then sent to the kiln, and, after undergoing a regular and continued heat, come out extremely white and delicate.

This manufactory, though of five times the extent of the original building, is insufficient for the number of workmen now wanted; as the attention paid by the proprietors to the improvement and qualities of the porcelain has been deservedly rewarded by a very considerable increase of business. Additional buildings are erecting; and a variety of alterations are projected, which, if executed according to the comprehensive plan on which they are proposed, will render this manufacture not only a source of great individual emolament, but likewise occasion it

to become an object of national importance. A steam engine is now preparing; several new glaze and biscuit kilns have been erected; and many other improvements are making, to accelerate the production, and increase the durability and beauty of the ware. The manufactory, when the proposed buildings are completed, will occupy an area equal to 6000 square yards, and afford sufficient room for the employment of between 300 and 400 workmen; the front alone will extend nearly 170 feet.

The original silk mill, erected by Mr. Crochet, and now called the Old Shop, was afterwards converted into a cotton factory, but is at present in the occupation of Messrs. Brown and son, who employ it for cutting and polishing marble, and manufacturing the Derbyshire fluor spar, or blue John, and gypsum, into a variety of beautiful ornaments, as urns, vases, columns, obelisks, &c. The machinery applied to execute these purposes is of very ingenious construction; and the lathes are so contrived, by the assistance of a reverse motion, that they can readily be made to revolve either slower or faster, as the design or quality of the substance under manufacture may require. They may likewise be stopped at pleasure, without impeding the motion of any other part of the works.

When the blue John is to be made into a vase, or any other ornamental form that renders the use of the lathe necessary, it is carved, with a mallet and chissel, into a rude resemblance of the object intended to be produced, and being afterwards strongly cemented to a plug or chock, is screwed upon the lathe. A slow motion is then given to the work:

and

and a bar of steel, about two feet long, and half an inch square, properly tempered, and pointed at each end, is applied to the fluor, on which water is continually dropping to keep the tool cold, preserve it from friction, and enable it more readily to reduce the substance upon which it acts. As the surface becomes smoother, the tool is applied with more freedom, and the motion of the lathe accelerated till the fluor has assumed its destined elegance of form. When the turning is completed, pieces of grit-stone, of different degrees of fineness, are applied, with water, to bring the article to a proper ground for polishing with fine emery, tripoli, and putty, or calx of tin. These means are continued till the fluor is incapable of receiving a higher degree of polish; which is known when water thrown on it will no longer increase its lustre.

The advantage of the lathe set in motion by the water over those worked by the foot, is said to be particularly conspicuous in forming hollow vases, or articles of equal delicacy. By the use of the foot-lathe the fluor was frequently broken, and without extreme care its laminated texture always disturbed; but the greater steadiness given to the machinery by the water wheel, operates as an effectual preservation from these inconveniences. The great ease with which a slow or quick motion can be produced by the use of the waterlathe, is also an additional advantage, and tends considerably to increase the beauty and elegance of the ornaments.

The same wheel which gives motion to the lathes for manufacturing the fluor spar, &c. is likewise applied to work the machinery for

sawing and polishing marble, and other purposes. On the vibrating poles to which the cranks are fixed, are sliding boxes, containing sets of saws, which are nothing more than thin plates of soft iron that drop as they cut the marble. These are supplied with sand and water; and being moveable with screws, may be arranged at different distances, so that the slabs may be cut of any thickness. A set of saws consists of a different number of plates, so that the block to which they are applied may be separated at one process into as many slabs as may be thought necessary.

The slabs thus sawn are taken to the polishing bed, which has four wheels, that move on a gangway with a very slow motion, given to it by a worm and crank. One of the slabs being fixed on this bed, another is fastened above it to an arm attached to a vibrating pole, that works with a quick motion in a transverse direction. The słabs thus moving in contact with each other, and being supplied with sand and water, soon acquire a level surface, when finer materials are employed, as in the working of the fluor spar, to increase their smoothness, and give them a high and beautiful polish.

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