THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4781, 19 July 1876, Page 3

THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

We are in receipt of a circular from Messrs. Arkell, Tufts and Compafiy, commission and shipping merchants, 15, South William-street, New York, and 32 Great St Helen’s, London, E.C., under date, New York, June 10, 1876. The circular is devoted to indicating some of the exhibited inventions and improvements which may be Of value in the British colonies, in South America, aud in China and Japan. The writers say “ The exhibition is yet far from showing its full strength, and the arrangements of exhibitors whose goods were promptly delivered, have been greatly hindered by the influx of car and waggon loads of articles from those who were late in forwarding their goods, or have had the misfortune to have them delayed in transit. Still, there is much to be seen and noted by those whose interest may prompt them to expend time upon examination, and the United States display an increasing and remarkable development of skill aud care in the production of labor-saving appliances. Agriculture,— Some striking improvements and not a few new inventions are shown, but in this department in particular, the absence of representatives of exhibitors to explain the advantages and improvements Jof the exhibits is seriously felt, and renders it difficult to give a satisfactory report theron. - “Among such changes as we have noted, we have first to call attention to “Bakes. —Messrs. Oliver Ames and Sons have a lipped rake of considerable use where the dense growth of weeds is apt to clog the teeth of the implement. The back of the rake is turned so as to present a sharp edge, and on turning the rake over a slight jerk of the hand effectually cuts away the growth that else would impede free action. The high character of this firm for excellence of workmanship and of material will be a sufficient guarantee to all who have purchased their goods, of that sound quality upon which their fame rests continuing in the future, “ Sheble and Fisher have made advances also in the manufacture of the same implements, by giving additional strength to those which are made at their works, reducing freight charges at the same time. All their new rakes are made with sockets, and some with straps, the advantages of which are ; First, the rakes and handles can be separately packed, thus economising the space taken in packing, and enabling any handle to be cut and fitted in an emergency. The sockets are formed with the rakes from one piece of steel, the material never varying in temper and strength. “ Withington, Cooley, and Co. show a rake with a novel feature, the outside tines having the points drawn out longer than the rest, and then bent outward at right angles, so as to derive from the soil under tillage some support for the implement. It is the only one so treated that we have seen in th^ entire exhibition. , „ “Forks. —Of these implements the wellknown samples of Sheble and Fisher, and Myers and Ervien, are shown in ample variety. Sheble and Fisher’s new forks are made like their rakes, with sockets, at a very small cost above that of the implement hitherto supplied. There is of course economy in packing, and consequently in freight, from the forks and handles being separately put up ; perfectly straight handles can be used, and greater strength is given to the forks. “ An entirely new spading fork is shown by Sheble and Fisher. The forms hitherto supplied are the fiat tined and the angular tinetl, the latter entering the soil with much less than the ordinary expenditure of labor. By reversing the angle from the under to the upper side of the tines, the resistance the fork meets with from the soil is reduced, and the soil is split up by the angle. The change in the position of the angle involves no addition to the cost of these forks. The tines are greatly strengthened by rolling them tho greater part of an inch from the back, giving in the upper portion of each tine the solidity of an increased breadth of steel. “Shovels.—There ore several large and handsome coses and trophies in which these

tools are seen to special advantage. Oliver Ames and Sons send samples from their stocks, which serve to bring out the excellence of their manufacture, nothing being attempted of - an extravagant or non-utilitarian character, and hence no .remarkable except that of contrast-,with the shovels exhibited that were in use inVthe fore part of the present century, impressing the mere sight-seeing visitor tortile agricultural building. Only new conditions can call for new forms ; and a high standard of staple production such as this firm have furnished for many years past, is nearly all that can at present be looked for. The variety of shovels, however, manufactured at the extensive works at North Easton, is almost infinite, and applicable to . every known use and requirement. . . . “ Granary Machinery.— The Queen of the Harvest Grain and Seed Separator, , Grade and Fanning Miff, is, for its purposes compact,, easily worked, and efficient, It separates and grades all kinds of grain, beans, &c., down to timothy seed, the sieves being lettered for the varieties of grain and seed, and numbered for places where used, hand made ; the wire of steel-tempered iron, other parts of sound and durable materials. In operation (which a lad of twelve years of age can conduct), it runs rapidly and with great facility, and cleans thoroughly, has a detachable feeder running on top, and the lateral is combined with a tremulous motion changed instantly at the will of the operator from a smooth lateral to a trembling .motion, without which grain arid seeds cannot be thoroughly separated aud graded. The machine is exhibited by the Queen of the Harvest Manufacturing Company, whose factory price is 65 dollars. “Household Economy Potatoe- and Apple Parer. —‘ The little Gia’ut’ is the name given to a diminutive machine as small as a mechanical toy, fitted with self-acting knife for paring apples, potatoes, turnips, &0., without regard to the form of the fruit. The simplicity of its construction and action is a noteworthy feature of the contrivance. It is manufactured by the inventor, J. D. Seagrave. “Another simple article manufactured by the same inventor is a patent stopple faucet, which can be used for all liquid purposes. Its advantages are that it is provided with a strainer ; it is unnecessary to remove it when the vessel is sent hy railroad, &c.; no one can draw without a key ; it need not he removed from the barrel, as the faucet can be easily scalded and washed by unlocking the faucet. It can also be used in drawing with a pump as well as directly at the cask. “Fruit Preserving. —Payne’s steam fruit preserver is an apparatus for preserving and canning fruits and vegetables, either with or without sugar, and so that the preserves retain their natural flavor, freshness, form, and color. It is used in any way where heat is generated, alike on a common stove, range, oil stove, or gas jet, the steam passing through a pipe into bottle, jar, or can containing the fruit, and cooking it without bringing it in contact with the water. It is fitted with one, two, or four pipes. Sewing Machines. —The display of these is most extensive and varied. The most effective exhibit, however, both of the machines and of the work done by them, is that of Johnson, Clarke, and Co., whose home shuttle machine stands well in favor wherever it has been tested on its merits. To this useful invention, already widely known and appreciated, praise is given hy the general consent of visitors to the Exhibition. It has the rare point of commendation that it is easily worked and difficult to get out of order, that it is compact and simple in construction and management, that its operation is certain, and that its small cost brings it virtually within everybody’s means to purchase. The exhibition will doubtless tend to strengthen the firm hold which the machine has taken upon public favor.

Darning Machines. —The Pope Manufacturing Co. have on exhibit a small apparatus for darning stockings, &c., which bids fair to become an article .that may come into good demand, it having already met with a ready sale in England. It appears to be more adapted for woollen or merino goods than for lighter textures, but being small and simple in construction, and possessing the advantage that it may be screwed to a table or sewing machine, it should at its low price command attention as a labor-saving machine. The present price for export for quantities is lOdol., less 40 per cent. “Saws. —B. M. Boynton, of New York, exhibits several novelties in saws. One is the lightning, double-edged, pruning saw, in two sizes, 14 and 20 inches; another is the introduction alternately with the double teeth of spaces of the same width as the teeth to release the dust, of wood in sawing. A third gain of power is afforded by an improved handle, a second rounded handle, screwinginto the ordinary handle at a right angle, so as to yield a firm double-handed grip, and at the same time lessen the likelihood of the handle rivets becoming loose. The peculiarity of Boynton’s lightning saws lies in the back being as effective as the front cut. Setting two points of a double tooth, (shaped like the letter M) the same side and the next the other side, the slant between them is concealed, and the operation is that of a.'nearly vertical M tooth; while the teeth occupy the same space as in the form which hair been familiar to every workman since saws ( were first made. One point runs in the front, the next in the back cut, doubling the result from a given amount of labor. This construction also gives the breadth and durability of a double tooth instead of a single scraping point, and presents upright instead of slant edges to the timber. The new patent just obtained allows perfect clearance of sawdust, the arch widening slightly to the points of teeth, rendering impossible any clogging of the teeth by green or resinous dust; the need of frequent setting being also avoided, as the teeth cut in line and cannot, except in pure mischief, be filed out of shape. “ Saw Setter. —An ingenious little machine that might be' carried with tools in a joiner’s basket, is 'produced by the Waite Manufacturing Co,, and exhibited by J. D. Seagrave. The only labor involved in its action is the movement of a lever handle. The price is 18dol. per dozen, the bulk being 12 x 2 x 5 inches each.

Breast Drill.— This also, scarcely larger in compass than the saw setter, is exhibited by the same party. Price 12doI. per dozen. Looks. —The Clarke Combination Lock Company, o£ Baltimore, show several of their patent combination keyless looks, which to the number of several thousands are in use in the U.S. .Government offices, and in the exhibition itself, but are wholly new as articles of trade. The combination is formed by, brass pins, and reaches the extraordinary number of 3000 ere it can be exhausted. The price is 24d01. per dozen. Horseshoes. The manufacture of these is illustrated in the exhibition by the working of' a small working model, the machinery being produced by Burden and Sons, and supplied by them to the United States and British Governments. A single machine will turn out ten tons of iron in the form of finished shoes per day, its action being instantaneous. The utility of the invention is manifest, from the fact that against forging by hand the machinemade shoes are sold at a fraction of one cent more than half price, the cost of production and manufacturers’ profit being one-fifth of the value of the iron. The shoes are offered for export, and are already in extensive use in America. Eaw Material—-Ikon and_ Steel.— The combination of these metals without forging and hammering, by simply rolling and crossfiling under a new patented process, is likely to effect sundry welcome changes, . especially where great strength has hitherto been gained at the expense of lightness. “ For tools and implements, steel can be perfectly put upon the surface of iron, giving the fine cutting edge of steel without its brittleness, while for working in mass, one-half the total weight may be dispensed with by placing the iron outside, the toughness of which being inseparable from the backing of steel is capable of resisting any battering or pressure that can be brought to bear upon it. When this process shall pass into extended operation, the cost of manufacturing iron and steel goods, of greater durability even than those now pro*

duced—excellent as many of these are —will probably be somewhat reduced. “ As the exhibition becomes more complete in its several departments, we hope to be able to gather more-detailed information than it is at present' possible to obtain. Goods are still daily arriving in large quantities and being arranged with the least possible delay, we trust, therefore, to be in a position in our next issue to give information upon many articles which we have seen, but upon which no particulars were obtainable.”