AN IMPORTANT INVENTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 7 May 1901, Page 3

AN IMPORTANT INVENTION.

An invention that is claiming a large amount of interest just now from the shipping community has says* the " Sydney Morning Herald," been turned out at Mort's Dock and Engineering Works at Balmain by Mr Charles Fleming, the foreman ironmoulder. For a number of years past experiments have proceeded all over the world with the object of making a body of brass join to another body of cast iron; but, it is said, the contraction in the coolness process has generally been responsible for the failure of the experiment. This, however, has now passed all the experiment stages, and the labours of Mr Fleming, after a number of severe trials, have been crowned with success. For years he has worked on the experiment and recently he has joined the two metals in such a manner that it is said to be impossible to separate them. The value of the invention was demonstrated during the past week before a large number of gentlemen. A cause of much expense to shipowners in the past has been found in the blades of the propellers of steamers. It is claimed for the new invention that by its application a propellor will last as long as a solid brass one: also, that after treatment by the now process a cast-iron blade will be made far stronger than a new brass one. The inventor, in conjunction with Mr. Thomas, late manager of the Atlas Works, has taken out a patent for the United Kingdom. Arrangements have been made with the E. and A. Company to fix one to their steamer, the Guthrie, on her return'to that port from her present trip.